Kothu Chicken Masala (Spicy Shredded Chicken)

Chicken cooked and tossed with the right amount of spices offers a multitude of delicious possibilities. This is one such recipe giving a slightly different twist to the regular chicken dishes. The difference is the texture. Since the chicken is shredded, the spices blend more easily and gives a nice flavor.

I remember watching this in a roadside restaurant in my hometown for the first time. I enjoyed watching the "kothu" (shred) part on the large tava with steel lades and then tossing the chicken into the spices. Just watching it made me drool for the dish. I then recently learned the recipe through a TV show and couldn't wait to try. I have now tried this a few times with slight modifications and this has become a standard recipe in my cook book now.

Ingredients:

• Chicken thighs with bones - 1.5 lbs
• Chopped Onions - 1 cup
• Ginger/Garlic paste - 1.5 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Chopped tomatoes - 1 cup
• Fennel seeds - 2 tsp
• Cinnamon - 1 inch
• Cloves - 3
• Chilli powder - 1.5 tsp
• Corriander powder - 3 tsp
• Black pepper powder - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - a few.

Procedure:

• Cut the chicken thigh pieces into medium sizes, wash thoroughly and place them in a pressure cooker.
• Add half of ginger/garlic paste, chilli powder, corriander powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well with 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles. The chicken should be 3/4th cooked. 
• Transfer the contents into a pan, boil the chicken for some more time without closing the lid until the water reduces to half-size and the chicken is fully cooked. This will require at least 10 mins. Save the chicken stock and remove the chicken pieces. 
• Remove the meat from the bones and discard the bones. Shred the chicken well.
• Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a separate pan. Season with Cinnamon, cloves and fennel seeds.
• Once they pop, add onions and curry leaves. Fry well.
• Add tomatoes and fry for a few mins. 
• Now add the shredded chicken and cook for a few mins.
• Finally add the saved chicken stock, black pepper powder and cook well until the mixture thickens to a semi-gravy consistency. It should neither be a thin gravy nor too dry.

Delicious Kothu chicken is ready! Enjoy with Chapathis or any kind of rice dish.

Spicy Shrimp

Believe it or not, I made this dish in just 15 mins! There is not much chopping and if we do some steps in parallel, this is a pretty quick one. The only time consuming part is peeling the tail off the shrimp, but I did it while the other ingredients were cooking. After a very long time, I cooked a shrimp dish in my kitchen. If you are Shrimp lover, here is one of the most flavorful Shrimp dishes for you.

Ingredients:

• Medium sized Shrimp - 1 lb or about 12 pieces, peeled and deveined. I used frozen shrimp and it came out just fine.
• Ginger - 1 inch
• Garlic - 5 medium cloves
• G.chilly - 1
• Chopped Onions - 1/2 cup
• Curry leaves - a few
• Chopped Tomato - 1 medium 
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Corriander powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
• Black Pepper corns - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Cinnamon - 1 inch
• Cloves - 4
• Cardamom - 2
• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• Corriander leaves - a hand full.

Procedure:

• Wash the Shrimp thoroughly and remove the tail portion, if present. Set aside.
• Grind the ginger, garlic, g.chilly, a few curry leaves, black pepper corn, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom to the a fine paste. 
• Heat oil in a non stick pan, add chopped onions and curry leaves. Fry until the onions change color.
• Add tomatoes and fry for a few mins until it loses shape.
• Add the ground paste, turmeric, chilli powder and corriander powder, salt and 1/2 cup water and cook for a few mins until it thickens and oil starts separating. 
• Add Shrimp and mix well. 
• Add 2 tbsp water cover for 5 mins in low heat. Shrimp takes just a few mins to cook. 
• Remove the lid and cook for the a few more mins in medium heat until it reaches a thick consistency.
• Garnish with corriander leaves.

Excellent side dish for any kind of rice or chapathis.

Cabbage - Broccoli Poriyal (Stir-fry)

This is one of my favorite quick and easy stir-fry dishes. Broccoli is a vegetable I started liking only recently as this was not a common vegetable in India when I was growing up. However, once I started trying dishes with this healthy vegetable, I started using it more and more in my dishes.  This is one such combo I tried just like that and it came out quite well. Hope you all like it too.

Ingredients:

• Cabbage - 1 cup (Chopped)
• Broccoli - 1/2 cup (Grated - The trick is to grate the Broccoli so the flavor is distinct).
• Onions - 1 medium
• Garlic - 2 
• G. chillies - 2
• Mustard leaves - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Crushed Peppercorn - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves - a few
• Shredded coconut - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

• Finely chop the onions and g.chillies. Crush the garlic and set aside.
• Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan, season with mustard seeds and Urad dal.
• Add asafoetida, g.chillies and garlic and fry for a few seconds.
• Add chopped onions and curry leaves and fry for 2 mins until onion changes color.
• Add the chopped cabbage and grated broccoli and stir fry for a min. 
• Add salt, 1/4 cup water and salt and cover in low heat until the vegetables are fully cooked.
• Increase heat and fry gently until all the water evaporates.
• Finally add coconut and mix well. 

Enjoy!

Gongura Mutton (Lamb with Sour Gongura leaves)

Here is a spicy mutton dish I'm sharing that I tried and tasted recently. I have tried very few dishes with Gongura leaves and this one is my favorite so far. I have seen several variations of this recipe and this one is customized with my choice of ingredients.

Ingredients:

• Mutton - 1 lb (I prefer with bones)
• Chopped Gongura leaves - 3 cups, loosely packed
• Chopped onions - 1 cup
• Ginger/Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• G.chillies - 3
• Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
• Chopped tomatoes - 1 cup
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Corriander powder - 2 tsp
• Garam masala - 1 tsp
• Cloves - 2
• Cinnamon - 1 inch
• Corriander leaves - a hand full.

Procedure:

• Remove the gongura leaves from the stem, wash under running water. Chop them roughly.
• Heat a pan. Add the Gongura leaves and g.chillies. Sprinkle some water, cover and cook in low heat for a few mins.  Cool and make this to a paste using blender.
• Meanwhile wash the mutton thoroughly and chop into small pieces. 
• Heat oil in a thick bottomed vessel, season with Cinnamon and cloves. Once they pop, add chopped onions and fry for a few mins.
• Add ginger/garlic paste and fry for a min.
• Add the mutton and mix well.
• Add turmeric, chilli powder, corriander powder, garam masala and salt. Mix the mutton well until the spices are coated well. 
• Add tomatoes and fry for a few mins.
• Transfer this mixture to a pressure cooker. Add the gongura/g.chillies paste and 1 cup water. Cover and cook until the mutton is fully cooked. This may take 8 - 9 whistles depending on your pressure cooker.
• When done, open the pressure cooker, mix well and cook the mutton in high heat until all the water is evaporated and it becomes thick. 
• Finally add chopped corriander leaves and mix well.

Goes well with hot rice and any type of curry. As the picture shows, I enjoyed it with Sambar :)

Chicken 65 (Spicy Fried Chicken)

Sometimes the easiest way to subside the cravings is to just make them at home just when you want it. Have been having a craving for Chicken 65 lately and there's just one restaurant in our neighborhood that offers this dish and its crowded most of the time. So, I decided to make this at home last weekend.

Ingredients:

For Marinade:

Boneless / Skinless Thighs - 1 lb
Ginger/Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Egg - 1
Vinegar or Lemon Juice - 2 tsp
Corn Flour - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste

For Tempering:

Sliced Onions - 1/2 cup
G.chilly - 1 (sliced)
Curry leaves - a hand full
Yogurt - 2 tsp (Optional)

Procedure:

• Wash the chicken thoroughly and cut them into 2 inch pieces. 
• In a wide bowl mix the chicken with all ingredients for marinade until its well mixed and set aside for at least an hour. I usually leave it in refrigerator for about an hour.
• Heat oil in a pan. Fry the chicken pieces in batches in oil and place them on a bounty sheet to get rid of the extra oil.
• In the same pan, retain about 2 tsp hot oil. Add the onions, g.chillies and curry leaves and fry until the onions become crispy and golden brown.
• Add the yogurt and a pinch of salt and let it boil well until the yogurt thickens and blends well with onions. 
• Add the fried chicken and give a quick toss for a min. 
• Remove from heat and serve immediately. 

Enjoy this as appetizer/finger food or with Briyani!

Fish Curry

Here I am after another long gap! Thanks to my friends A & S who have been constantly following up with me to post new recipes. This post is for them. This is a traditional fish curry from my place that's often made at households and restaurants. I have tried many versions of fish curry and honestly this has been my favorite so far. My sister passed along this recipe to me as she loved the homemade flavors in this dish. Quite simple and flavorful.

Ingredients:

• White Pomphret or Pompano (Pomphret has a better flavor) - 2 lbs (about  7 pieces including head and tail).
• Small onions - 8 numbers - chopped.
• Curry leaves - a few
• Chilli Powder - 2.5 tsp
• Corriander Powder - 2.5 tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1 tsp
• Tomatoes - 3 medium sized, chopped
• Shredded Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Tamarind water - 2 cups
• Sesame Oil / Gingely oil/ Nalla Ennai - 4 tbsp (Sesame oil is the key ingredient in this recipe and to get the right flavor, adding extra oil is important. Since Sesame oil is good for health, be gracious in adding oil)

Procedure:

• Wash the fish thoroughly in water by adding salt. Set aside.
• Grind the coconut and 2 small onions to a smooth paste. Set aside.
• Heat 4 tbsps sesame oil in a heavy pan or kadai. Season with fenugreek seeds and curry leaves.
• Add the remaining 6 small onions (chopped) and fry until the onions shrink and turn color.
• Add chilli powder, corriander powder and fry for 2 mins.
• Add chopped tomatoes and fry for couple more mins. You will see the mixture soaked in oil and looks dark red in color. 
• Now add tamarind water and salt. Mix well and let it boil for 5 mins.
• Add the ground paste and boil for a few more mins. If required add 1/2 cup of water.
• Finally add the fish and boil for about 5 more mins, or until fish is completely cooked. Since fish cooks fast, be a bit cautious in not overcooking the fish, it may disintegrate in the curry.

Enjoy with plain rice. As you may know, this curry tastes divine the next day. 

Curry Leaves Chicken (Karuvepilai Chicken)

Its time to post a non-vegetarian recipe. I love the tantalizing flavor of curry leaves. A bit of this brings out a traditional flavor in everything I cook, especially in non vegetarian dishes. Nothing can beat the freshly seasoned curry leaves on coconut chutney. I used to dislike this during childhood as it was painful to pick them out while eating. With the years going by though, like many of you, I’ve developed a true love to these leaves. Now, given a chance, I’d add them to anything I cook.

This is a dish that I have been waiting to post for a long time.  The first time I tasted this was at a local restaurant in India. It was delicious and ever since I have been drooling over this dish. I messed up the pictures when I made this last time and after a long time I made this again recently. 

Ingredients

• Chicken thighs (boneless) - 2 pounds
• Curry leaves - 1/2 cup
• Onions - 2 medium sized - finely chopped
• Tomatoes - 2 medium sized - finely chopped
• Ginger - 2 inches
• Garlic - 4 cloves
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Corriander powder - 4 tsp
• Cinnamon - 1 inch
• Cloves - 2
• Cardamom - 1
• Fennel seeds - 2 tsp
• Sesame oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure

• Wash and cut the chicken into 2 inch pieces. Marinate the chicken pieces with turmeric powder, 1 tsp chillipowder and salt for atleast 30 mins.
• Make a paste out of ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, 1 tsp fennel seeds, curry leaves (save a few for seasoning) and a handful of chopped onions. Add just a little water.
• Heat sesame oil in a large wok (cast iron pans are perfect). Season with the remaining 1 tsp of fennel seeds.
• Add chopped onions, a few curry leaves and fry well until the onions change color.
• Add the ground paste, remaining 1 tsp chilli powder and corriander powder and fry in medium heat for a min.
• Add the tomatoes, mix well, cover and let it cook in low heat for 5 - 8 mins, until the spices and tomatoes are cooked well.
• Add the marinated chicken, mix well and cover it again in medium heat for 10 - 15 mins until the chicken is fully cooked. Add very little water if necessary as the chicken and tomatoes release a lot of moisture.
• After the chicken is fully cooked, increase the heat and let all the liquid evaporate while gently stirring the chicken continuously.
• Turn off the heat after the chicken reaches the correct consistency as you desire.

 Perfect for Sambar and Rasam rice... but nothing can beat this dish with curd rice!

Paruppu Urundai Kulambu (Lentil balls cooked in a spicy gravy)

I'm ready for a warmer weather.  I want to free myself from wearing layer after layers just to place my garbage outside. I'm ready to wear my flipflops and go for a walk in my neighborhood. More than all, I am ready for summer food.  Grilling, Cool Frappuccino, Oberwies Sundaes - I can't wait.

Lately I have been just trying some of my favorite traditional recipes. Last week I sat back in my couch with a bunch of cook books on my lap and went through all of them. I bookmarked several recipes - a lot of them were traditional home made recipes that I have a craving for now and some of them I have not even heard of. My "To Cook" list has grown longer than ever. Paruppu Urundai Kulambu is an authentic tamil recipe made often in our state, but the preparation may differ between households. This is a perfect dish for a weekend lunch accompanied with some traditional side dishes like poriyal or koottu.

For the Paruppu Urundai: 

• Toor Dhal - 3/4 cup
• Chana dal - 1/4 cup
• Red chillies - 2
• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• Garlic - 1 small clove (optional)
• Onions - minced - 1 tbsp
• Salt - as needed
• Curry leaves and Corriander leaves - finely chopped  - a hand full.

For the Kulambu:

• Onion - 1 medium sized - finely chopped
• Garlic - 3 cloves - finely chopped
• Curry leaves - a few
• Asafoetida - 2 pinches
• Tomatoes - 2 small - chopped
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Kulambu powder - 2 tsp (You can substitute this with 2 tsp sambar powder or 1 tsp chilli powder and 2 tsp corriander powder)
• Tamarind Water - 2 cups (or 1 tbsp tamarind paste mixed with 2 cups of water)
• Shredded Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Fennel Seeds - 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 2 tsp
• Corriander leaves - to garnish

Procedure:

• Soak the dals for 2 hrs. Grind the dals with fennel seeds, garlic, red chillies and salt. Do not add water. Mix the dal paste with Onions, curry leaves and corriander leaves.
• Make equal sized balls of the paste and set aside.
• Meanwhile, steam the balls (I use idli steamer - just place the balls on the idli plates and steam for 5 mins).
• Grind the coconut and 1 tsp fennel seeds to a fine paste. Set aside.
• Heat oil in a wide and deep pan. Season with mustard seeds, 1 tsp fennel seeds and asafoetida.
• Add the onions, garlic and curry leaves and fry for a few mins until the onions start changing color.
• Add chopped tomatoes, the spice powders and salt. Fry well in medium heat until the tomatoes are fully cooked.
• Add the tamarind water and bring it to boil. Cover and let it cook for 10 mins in medium heat.
• Add the coconut paste and let it boil. Now gently add the steamed balls into the gravy. Let them cook in low heat for 10 mins.
• Garnish with corriander leaves and let it sit for half an hour before serving.

Brussel Sprouts Curry

This is one of those vegetables that is not common on dinner tables. Many times, I had stopped and explored this vegetable in grocery stores, but had no idea about what to do with these. Surprisingly, when mom visited us a few years back, she was excited to see this vegetable in a local grocery store  and she immediately bought and prepared a traditional Kurma out of this. Until then, I didn't know it could taste so good with Indian spices. I think this vegetable has a bad reputation among kids since it becomes slightly bitter when overcooked. The best way to cook these are either roast them in an oven with olive oil and mild spices or make a mild curry out of it without overcooking. Over time, I’ve done everything from sautéing just the brussel sprout leaves to lightly preparing a curry with mild spices for rotis and rice. This curry is a fantastic recipe with a very different flavor and goes very well with rotis.

  

Ingredients:

• Brussel Sprouts - 1 pound
• Red Onion - 1 medium sized
• Curry leaves - a few
• Asaefotida - 1 pinch
• R.Chilly - 1
• Garlic - 1small pod
• Tomatoes - chopped - 1/2 cup
• Tomato Puree - 2 tbsp
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Corriander powder - 2 tsp
• Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp

Procedure:

• Take the brussel sprouts, cut the hard parts on the tip and remove the top leaves that are loose. Wash them thoroughly and cut them into 2 or 4 pieces depending on the size.
• Chop the onions, garlic and tomato finely
• Heat oil in a wide pan, season with mustard, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves.
• Break the red chilly into two pieces and add to the seasoning.
• Add the chopped garlic and fry in low heat for a few secs.
• Add the chopped onions, salt and fry for a min or two.
• Add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric, chilli and corriander powders and fry well for a few mins until the tomatoes lose shape.
• Add the tomato puree, mix well and cover for a few mins.
• Once the spices are cooked well, add the brussel sprouts and mix well until the spice mixture is completed coated on the sprouts.
• Cover and cook for 12-15 mins, stirring them frequently.
• If required add some water to help the sprouts cook well. (Remember the key is not to overcook the sprouts. Just cook them until they are soft and still retain their shape).
• Cook until the water is fully evaporated and everything comes together well.
• Remove from heat, serve hot with Rotis.

Enjoy!

Mushroom Briyani

While growing up, I'd never given mushrooms much thought.  After moving here I saw it everywhere - burgers, soups, salads, pizza, pasta - its there everywhere. I also learned that mushrooms are top in antioxidants that help fight illness. There were not my favorite in the beginning, but eventually this chewy vegetable got on my staple vegetable list as I learned more and more recipes on mushrooms. Now I love all sorts of mushroom dishes, but if I have to choose one of my favorite recipes, it would probably be this mushroom briyani. Its a nice alternative from the regular veggie briyani when I'm in the mood for a change in my kitchen.

This recipe has been evolving ever since I learned the original recipe from my sister a few years back. After making a few slight changes to better suit my taste, it has now become the standard version everytime I make it. So, here is the recipe for those who are looking for a nice mushroom dish.

Ingredients:

• Chopped mushrooms - 2 cups
• Basmati rice - 2 cups
• Onion - 1 medium sized - finely chopped
• Ginger & Garlic paste - 1 tbsp (freshly made)
• G.chillies - 2 - slit lengthwise
• Chopped corriander leaves - 2 hands full
• Chopped mint leaves - 1 hand full
• Heavy cream - 2 tbsp
• Coconut milk - 1/2 cup (canned coconut milk is fine)
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Corriander powder - 3 tsp
• Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
• Cloves - 3 pieces
• Butter - 1 inch cube
• Curd/Yogurt -  2 tbsp

Procedure:

• Soak the basmati rice in water for 10 mins.
• In a large deep pan (with lid), melt the butter and add 1 tbsp of oil. Add cinnamon and cloves, once they pop-up, add the slit green chillies and chopped onions. Fry for 2 mins.
• Now add ginger and garlic paste and fry well for a few mins.
• Add corriander and mint leaves and fry for a min until a nice aroma comes.
• Now add the chilli powder, corriander powder and salt. Fry and cover in low heat for a 2 mins until the raw smell starts to go away.
• Add the curd and heavy cream and mix well.
• Add the mushrooms and mix well with the spice mixture. Cover and cook for 8 - 10 mins. The mushroom must have been semi-cooked at this stage.
• Drain the water from the rice and add the rice to the mushroom mixture. Mix well.
• Mix the coconut milk in 3 cups of water and add this to the rice.
• Check for salt and spice and adjust to your taste.
• At this stage you can transfer this mixture to an electric rice cooker and cook until done.
• I usually cook it in the same pan on the stove. This does not let the rice become sticky or overcooked. For this, you have to bring the mixture to boil and then simmer the heat fully, cover and cook for 15 mins (checking and stirring gently a few times).  You can sprinkle some water if required to reach the correct consistency.

Serve hot with raita or any curry on the side.

Vegetable Stew with Coconut Milk (Thengaipal Sodhi)

I love stews, especially during cold weather.  The coconut milk flavor combined with mild spices is a perfect combination for many everyday meals like rice, idli, dosa, idiyappam etc. Packed with fresh veggies and mild spices, this sure is a winner in our home.  This originally is a slow cooking recipe and if you ever have that extra time, you can toss all the ingredients together in a slow cooker and let it cook over night. I tried it just once and the taste was out of the world! However, the quicker stove-top version also comes out quite nice.

This dish is famous in southern part of my home state and I have already posted a different version of this here.  Every region has its own flavor and offers different twists to the same dish and this one is very different in my opinion.

Ingredients:

Cabbage - 1 inch pieces - 1/2 cup
Drumsticks - 2 inch pieces - 5 (Optional)
Yellow Pumpkin - 1 inch cubes - 1/2 cup
Peas - 1/2 cup
Potato - 1 inch cubes - 1/2 cup
Carrots - small cubes - 1/2 cup
Brinjal - 1 inch cubes - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Coconut milk - 1.5 cups
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a few

For the paste:

• Shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
• Roasted chana dal/Chana Dalia/Porikadalai - 2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• G.chillies - 4 

(I add a litle extra of all the above if I plan to have it with rice so the flavor stays when mixed with hot rice too)
Procedure:

• Chop the veggies as mentioned above.
• Dilute half of the coconut milk with 2 cups of water. Heat a large wide pan, add the diluted coconut milk, turmeric, salt, drumsticks and brinjals. If using American eggplants, you can add them at a later stage since they can get cooked fast. Let them cook for a few mins.
• After the veggies are semi cooked, add all the remaining veggies and cook for a few more mins. Add little water if needed.
• While the veggies are cooking, make as paste with the ingredients listed above for the paste. Add this paste to the vegetables, add the remaining coconut milk and simmer for 10-15 mins until the flavors are well blended and the veggies are fully cooked.
• Heat oil in a small pan, season with mustard leaves and curry leaves. Pour on top of the stew and cover immediately. Remove from heat.
• Mix the seasoning well, before serving. Serve hot with Rice, dosa or idiyappam. I actually enjoy just the stew in a bowl!

Navaratna Kurma (Mixed Vegetables and Cottage cheese in a mild curry)

With winter approaching, home made dinner will be preferable mostly and recently I have been experimenting some variations in Veg Kurma, Paneer curry etc. I have tried this Kurma many times before and we all love it, but this time I had some time to click a shot at the end.

Navratna (9 gems) Kurma is a famous Indian side dish for chapatis and is referred to having a combination of 9 different vegetables, fruits and nuts cooked in a rich creamy gravy. This comes down from Mughlai tradition if I remember it right. In most Indian restaurants, heavy cream is used for the gravy, but to lighten it you can use cashew paste and milk combined. Almost all Paneer gravys have similar ingredients and this one is no different. But I believe the fruits and nuts give a twist in the taste, especially the pineapples and raisins. I have tried this recipe with and without pineapple and I relish it both ways.

Ingredients

• Chopped mixed vegetables (I used carrot, peas, potatoes and cauliflower) - 2 cups
• Onions - chopped finely - 3/4 cup
• Ginger - 1 inch
• Garlic - 3 medium sized cloves
• Green chilly - 1  
• Tomato Puree - 1 cup
• Tomato Paste - 2 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Corriander powder - 2 tsp
• Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp
• Cashewnuts (soaked in water) - 10 pieces
• Heavy cream - 1 tbsp (You can substitute with 1/4 cup milk)
• Raisins - 15
• Chopped Pineapple - (1/2 inch cubes - 6 - 8)
• Paneer cubes - a few
• Corriander leaves - a handful

Procedure

• Grind the Ginger, garlic and chilly to a paste. Set aside.
• Grind the soaked cashews and set aside.
• Heat oil in a kadai (I use a butter and oil), and add the rasins. Once they puff up, add onions. Fry until it starts to change the color.
• Add the Ginger/Garlic/Chilly paste and fry for a min
• Add the tomato paste, tomato puree and salt and fry for a 2 - 3mins.
• Add the spice powders, fry them for a min, cover and cook well in medium heat until the raw smell goes (3 - 4 mins)
• Add the vegetables, 1/2 cup water, cover and cook for a few more mins until the vegetables are almost cooked.
• Add the cashew paste and pineapple and boil for a few more mins until the vegetables are fully cooked.
• Add Paneer cubes and heavy cream (or milk) at the end and boil for a min, until the mixture comes to a gravy consistency.
• Garnish with corriander leaves.

 Serve hot with Rotis or Naans.

Suyyam - Ganesh Chathurthi Special



Happy Ganesh Chathurthi to everyone!  This is one festival I look forward to every year. Not only Lord Ganesh has a special place in my heart, this festival also brings back childhood memories. I used to like the shopping part - looking around the cute idols with beautiful decorations and finally making up the mind to select one after a huge dilemma.  Although at that time I didn't quite understand the ritual of immersing the idol in water to dissolve, as I grew up, I learned that it symbolizes his journey towards Kailash taking away with him the misfortunes of his devotees. And ofcourse, I like this festival for the special kozhukattais (modak).

Here is a sweet for this special occasion. This is a famous south indian sweet, originating from Trinelveli region but made widely across all parts of Tamilnadu. I have heard from many people that they love this sweet. I love the filling part and can finish it off just just like that. This filling can also be used for Kozhukattai (Modak) and Puran Poli. Sometimes I make extra and store it in the refregirator to make poli a few days later.

Ingredients

• Chana dal (Bengal gram) - 1 cup
• Jaggery powder - 1/2 cup
• Cardamom - 4 pieces
• Shredded coconut (fresh) - 1/2 cup
• Maida or all purpose flour - 1/2 cup
• Salt - a pinch
• Ghee - 2 tsp
• Baking soda - a pinch
• Idli batter - 1/2 cup (optional)
• Oil for deep frying

Procedure

• Pressure cook Chana dal, drain the water and grind it to a coarse paste with jaggery powder and cardamom. Set aside.
• Heat the ghee in a wide pan and add the chana dal paste and shredded coconut. Fry in low heat until all the excess water is gone and the mixture comes together to a consistency to make balls. This may take about 6-8 mins. Let it cool down for a few mins.
• Meanwhile, mix the all purpose flour, salt and baking soda together. Add water and make it into a semi-thin batter (should not be too thick). If you have idli batter, you can omit the baking soda and salt.
• Make small balls out of the filling, dip them in the batter and deep fry them in batches.
• Remove them in a paper napkin to remove excess oil.

Serve hot garnished with shredded coconut. Enjoy!

Baingan Bartha (Smoked eggplant cooked with spices)

Baingan Bartha or Baingan ka Bartha is another popular side dish for Rotis/Chapatis in North India. One of my favorite dishes too. The authentic recipe suggests roasting the eggplant in Tandoori oven. Alternatively, the eggplants could also be roasted in many other ways like gas/charcoal grill, stove top direct flame, conventional oven or microwave oven. Believe it or not, I even tried this in pressure cooker once, and it came out quite well. I like it when I bake it in oven and hence usually plan a bit ahead while making this dish.

 I learned this from a friend who used to prepare this during our camping trips with lots of patience. It comes out delicious when grilled in charcoal or gas grill. This is a perfect dish when you have that extra time to grill the eggplants while chit-chatting with your family or friends during camping or on a backyard patio and munching some snacks. I have tried this in various ways, but can't replicate my friend's dish thats usually grilled. It carries a unique flavor. I also realized that once the eggplants are grilled, carefully mashing them also adds taste. The mild taste of onions and tomatoes spiced up with chilli and cumin powders give the perfect combination for eggplant.

If you are an eggplant lover, one more recipe to try in the line.

Ingredients:

• Large eggplant - 1
• Finely chopped onions - 1/2 cup
• Finely chopped g.chillies - 1 tbsp
• Finely chopped garlic - 1 tbsp
• Finely chopped tomatoes - 1/2 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Corriander powder - 2 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Corriander leaves - to garnish

Procedure:

• Wash the eggplant, rub olive oil on it and bake in a tray for 30 - 40 mins in 350 degrees. The skin should be well shrinked and inserting a knife into the eggplant should be easy.
• Meanwhile finely chop the onions, g.chillies, garlic and tomatoes. Set aside.
• Remove the eggplant from the oven, remove the stem portion, peel off the skin.  Carefully mash the eggplant with a ladle as it will be too hot. You can aslo let it cool and mash it using hand. I prefer hand just to make sure its completely mashed.
• Add salt to the mashed eggplant, mix well and set aside.
• Heat oil in a wide pan. Season with cumin seeds. Add chopped g.chillies and garlic and fry for a min. Add onions and fry until it changes color.
• Add all the spice powders and fry for a few mins in medium heat.
• Finally add mashed eggplant and tomatoes together. Mix well, cover and cook for a few mins.
• Add chopped corriander leaves and fry until the mixture becomes thick and comes together.

Delicious Baingan Bartha is ready!

  

Bread Pakoras

Its been a very hot summer this year and almost everyday I have been trying to make something chilly like smoothies & lemonade as thirst quenchers. With extreme heat, we have been avoiding outdoors mostly this summer. I try making a few new snacks whenever I have some time in the afternoon and I now look forward to making them everyday since they don't require a lot of thought and could be pretty satisfying for a mini meal. I try to keep it healthy as much as possible like Yogurt parfait, Fruit medley, Fruit muffins etc.

Today, for a change I tried a hot and savory snack - Bread Pakoras. This is a great snack when you have those few extra slices of bread that you don't want to waste. And a  great tea-time snack too!

For the Batter

• Gram Flour (Besan) - 1 cup
• Rice flour - 2 tbsp
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Baking soda - a pinch
• Salt - as required

 For the Stuffing

• Bread Slices - 6 (White or Wheat, medium size)
• Potatoes - 1 large
• Chopped vegetables - 1/2 cup (Peas, Carrots, French beans - mixed)
• Ginger - 1 tsp (finely chopped)
• G.Chillies - 2 (finely chopped)
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Corriander leaves - a hand full (finely chopped)
• Salt - as required
• Green chutney (Optional) - 1 tbsp (store bought is fine)
• Oil to deep fry

Procedure

• Boil the potatoes, peel and mash them. Set aside.
• Boil all other vegetables together, drain and save the water, mash the vegetables slightly with a laddle.
• Add the mashed potatoes to the vegetables and mix well.
• Now add salt, ginger, g.chillies, cumin seeds and corriander leaves and mix well to make a thick stuffing.
• Make 6 medium sized balls out of this mixture and arrange it on a plate.
• Heat oil for deep frying.
• Prepare the batter by mixing all ingredients given under batter along with some water. The batter needs to be a little watery and not thick.
• Transfer the cooked water from the vegetables in a wide bowl.
• Take a bread, cut off the crusts and quickly dip the slice in the vegetable water. The slice should be fully wet, but not over soaked.
• Place the wet slice flat on your palm, use the other palm and squeeze out the excess water.
• Spread the green chutney on the bread and then place a vegetable ball on the slice. Cover it with the slice and seal the top. To make it easy, I usually use a round shaped cookie cutter and cut the wet slice to a round slice - this is easy to cover and seal the stuffing. If not, you can still make it with square slices and remove the excess bread left at the top while sealing.
• Dip it in the batter and deep fry it in oil under medium heat until golden brown.
• Repeat it with all other slices and drain the excess oil in a paper towel.

Serve hot with sweet chutney and hot tea!

Karuvadu Fry (Dry-Fish fried with onions and mild spices)

Here is an authentic south indian recipe for sea food lovers. Dry-fish (Karuvadu) is a common seafood delicacy in most non-vegetarian families in south. Mom used to make it occasionally but I almost forgot this recipe after I moved to the US. The main reason being that I don't find dry-fish in stores here and another reason is that I can't replicate the taste like mom's dish whatsoever. I lost interest in this dish altogether for the last few years. My parents have visited us this summer and after a long time I enjoyed it thoroughly when mom made this dish. It indeed brought back my old passion back and I'm now motivated to make this dish often. She adds lots of onions and slow-roasts the dry fish with mild spices and turns out to be a very flavorful dish. 

Ingredients:

Dry-fish (Any kind, Sear fish preferred) - 1 lb

Pearl Onions - 20 nos (chopped fine). You can substitue with 1 cup of finely chopped red onions, but definitely pearl onions add taste to this dish.

Red onion - 1 medium (chopped fine)

Green chillies - 4

Chilli powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp (adjust to your taste)

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Curry Leaves - a few

Procedure:

• Soak the dry-fish in hot water for at least 5 mins.
• Heat some extra oil in a wide pan (A cast iron vessel is preferred).
• Add onions and green chillies and fry until onions start changing color.
• Add the dry-fish, chilli powder, turmeric and fry well. Don't add salt now as the dry-fish already has salt.
• Add 3 tbsp water and cover for 10 mins. Once the dry-fish becomes soft, check for salt. By this time dry-fish would have released it salt content. If needed, add a bit more salt.
• Raise the heat, and roast it well by continously stir-frying gently until the water completely evaporates and the oil starts to release. At this stage, the onions are fully roasted. This will take at least 10 mins.
• Add curry leaves and stir-fry slowly for another 2 -3 mins.

Awesome Karuvadu fry is ready! Enjoy with any kind of rice dish. Best combo is rasam rice and yogurt rice.

Cabbage and Egg Stir-fry - A Simple Combo

Cabbage used to be one of my least favorite vegetables in my childhood. To me it was a stinky vegetable with no taste. As I grew, my taste buds changed and I started loving cabbage - even a plain steamed cabbage with salt is sufficient for me to enjoy this vegetable nowadays. As I started trying new dishes, I learned quite a few interesting variations with cabbage.

Here is a yummy variation - Cabbage stir fried with eggs.  Mom makes this often and it tastes yummy when she makes it as usual. This is the only recipe with cabbage my daughter loves too. Otherwise, she wrinkles
 her nose at the mere mention if this vegetable and she comes up with a myriad of excuses to not eat it. When combined with egg, it gives a different flavor and makes it quite different.

Madurai Style Chicken Curry

Hope everyone is enjoying the summer. I just wish we had more rain.

Feels good to post a recipe after a long time! During my break, I received several requests to post chicken recipes. Here I am, back with a chicken curry recipe that goes well with Idli, Dosa and Appam. This is made with a fresh aromatic spice powder that is prepared instantly. This chicken curry is quite popular in in the southern region of our state. While growing up in Madurai I enjoyed this often, especially in restaurants. I finally got the recipe for this curry from a friend.

Stuffed Okras

Happy New Year Everyone! Hope you all had a great holiday season. Like many people, I am not good at keeping up New year resolutions. They are easy to make, but not easy to keep. I recently read that a study shows that the average time most people stick to their New Year’s Resolution is one month. I am one of them. I have tried and given up now. These days, I tend to make commitments anytime in the year, when I really have the spirit to do it. And my simple solution to keep up with commitments is lowering the bar - I try to set realistic goals, yet demanding goals - something that can still give me a satisfaction of Mission accomplished!

With that being said, I certainly do have some things I would like to get better at in 2012. The first and foremost is "Post more often"! I started my previous year with the same goal and have not been good in keeping up with it :) However this year it is more realistic since I will be done with my school in a few months and certainly looking forward to get back my time to do my favorite things. The second one is "Eat a healthy breakfast". I'm not a breakfast person. Except in the weekends and when I am on vacation, I don't really eat breakfast. Although I've started practicing the habit of eating breakfast since last September, I would like to get regular at it and making it more healthier is this year's goal - probably a step ahead. Hoping to keep up with these two as much as I can.

About this recipe, this recipe is adapted from a cookbook. I made it a while back and tweaked a little bit to suit my taste. Okra is something that I get fresh many times during the week in my local grocery store. If I have the patience, I end up collecting fairly tender ones during my visits, although not always - especially when the store is crowded and 3 people plunging their hands into the box at the sametime to get the Okras. I do not prefer shopping during busy times and hate making my way through the aisles when it is crowded. So, I shop when it is dead. One quiet day, I was lucky to see the store keeper dumping some fresh okras in the box right in front of me and obviously I bought a few pounds. This dish came out so good with those tender okras. Definitely worth a try.

Ingredients:

• Fresh tender Okras - 15 numbers


• Chilli powder - 1 tsp


• Corriander powder - 2 tsp


• Turmeric - 1/4 tsp


• Dry Mango powder - 1/2 tsp


• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp (optional)


• Peanut Powder (finely powdered) - 2 tbsps


• Ginger / Garlic paste - 1 tbsp


• Tomato Ketchup - 1 tsp


• Tomatoes - 1 medium (finely chopped)


• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp


• Olive oil - 2 tbsp


• Corriander leaves - chopped -a handfull


• Salt - as required

Procedure:

• Wash the okras, pat dry with a paper towel. Remove the front and back parts. Set aside.


• Take a large flat pan, preferably non-stick and heat 2 tsp of oil. Add the full okras and give it a quick toss for 2 -3 mins on high heat. Keep stir-frying continuosly until you see a few brown spots on the okras. Remove from heat and cool for 5 mins.


• Meanwhile to prepare the stuffing, mix all the spice powders above with tomato ketchup and salt to a smooth paste. You can add a few drops of water if needed. The paste should be thick and should stay intact within the okras when stuffed.


• Slit the Okras in the middle, but not fully. Take a okra, fill it with the paste, tightly close it and wipe off the extra paste outside. You can use a small flat dinner knife if that helps.


• Repeat this for all okras and set aside.


• Heat the remaining oil in the pan, season with cumin seeds. Once they splutter, add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a min. Then add chopped tomatoes and fry until they become a paste.


• Add the stuffed okras and add the remaining stuffing, if any. Give it a good slow stir and and spread the okras individually throughout the pan.


• Cook in low heat until the okras are fully cooked. Takes about 20 mins. Keep stirring often every few mins. When done, season with Corriander leaves.

You now have another great side dish for rotis!

Spicy Chicken - Andhra Style

There are certain recipes I know I just have to try when I hear about them. Any recipe that focuses on authentic Andhra or Chettinad food, I'm ready to take a stab at it. I know it will satisfy my taste buds even if it doesn't turn out to be perfect. Everytime I visit India, I make sure I enjoy both Andhra and Chettinad foods in my favorite restaurants, especially the Andhra meals in a thali.

I am not against those recipes featuring extensive instructions or with ingredient lists spreading across pages, but I am sure I'm not trying one of those on a cold and dark autumn evening like today. With darkness hitting at 6 in the evening today, I'm all settled for a simple dinner and a movie. This is a traditional chicken dish from Andhra Pradesh and goes well with any kind of main dishes like rice or roti. The simple ingredients and quick preparation lets me relish this dish often at home. I have been planning to post this recipe for a long time and finally had time to post it today. Generally, this dish tastes awesome if its made a day before since the spicy flavors are enhanced over time and tastes delicious.

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1 lb (I prefer chicken with bones and a little bit of skin)

Ginger/Garlic paste - 2 tsp

Onions - finely chopped - 1 cup

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

G.chillies - 4

Chilli Powder - 1 tsp (optional)

Corriander leaves - 1/2 cup, chopped

Freshly ground spice powder - 2 tbsp (recipe below)

Procedure:

Pressure cook the chicken pieces along with 2 tbsp chopped onions, ginger/garlic paste, turmeric and salt. Just add enough water to cook the chicken. Since this is not a gravy dish, too much water may alter the texture and taste of the chicken.

Meanwhile, to make the spice powder, shallow fry 1 r.chilly, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 1 tbsp corriander seeds, 2 inch cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 2 cardamoms in a tsp of oil until nice aroma arises. Cool and grind to a fine powder. Set aside. I usually make this extra and store in refregirator for later use. This spice mix can be used for most of the non-veg dishes.

Heat 2 tbs oil in a wide pan, fry the remaining onions, g.chillies and curry leaves until the onions are nicely fried.

Add the pressure cooked chicken along with the stock and mix well. Add chilli powder and let it boil until it becomes a thick gravy. Increase the heat, add the prepared spice powder and corriander leaves and stir fry gently until all the gravy dries and the chicken is roasted well. If desired, add 1/2 tsp of black pepper powder at the end after switching off the heat, mix and cover it until served.

A very flavorful chicken dish is ready!