Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Puli Kozhi Kuzhambu - Sour Chicken

For marination

Chicken - 1 lb
chilly pwdr - 1/2 tsp
turmeric pwdr - 1 tsp
corriander pwdr - 1/2 tsp
cumine pwdr - 1/4 tsp

Masala roast:

Chilli pwdr - 1tsp
Turmeric pwdr - 1tsp
Corriander pwdr - 2 tsp
cinnamon pwdr - 1/2 tsp
shredded coconut - 1/4 cup

Dry roast the above ingredients.

Onion masala Paste:

Onion - 1 Big , sliced

saute onion till transparent and grind it with the above Masala Roast to get a smooth paste.
Do not add water while grinding.

Kuzhambu :

mustard seeds - 1 tsp
methi seeds - 1/2 tsp
onion - 1 small , finely chopped
ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
tamarind - lemon sized ball.
jaggery - 1 small piece
curry leaves


1) Heat oil , splutter mustard. Add methi seeds. When they trun red add curry leaves.
2) Saute onions and add ginger garlic paste.
3) Add marinated chicken. Fry till browned on high. Then lower heat.
4) When the chicken is half cooked add the onion masala paste.
5) Fry for few minutes
6) Add tamarind paste , water and salt.
7) Cook covered for 15 minutes in low heat.
8) Add jaggery , simmer for 2 minutes.
9) Serve with rice.

Nethili Manga Curry

Ingredients:

Nethili meen - 1 cup
Coconut - 1/2 cup
mango pieces - 1/2 cup
garlic - 2 cloves
onion - 1 small
curry leaves - few
turmeric pwdr - 1/2 tsp
chilli pwdr - 3/4 tsp
whole pepper - 1 tsp
corriander powder - 1/2 tsp
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
urad dal - 1 tsp
jaggery - 2 small pieces
corriander leaves for garnishing
coconut oil

Method:

1) Grind onion , garlic , coconut , curry leaves , turmeric pwdr , chilli pwdr and pepper
to a coarse paste.
2) Heat coconut oil , splutter mustard seeds. Add urad dal , curry leaves.
3) Add onion paste , salt and fry till raw smell goes.
4) Add nethili and mango pieces. Fry for sometime.
5) Add 1/2 cup water. Sprinkle corriander powder. Bring to a boil.
6) Add jaggery pieces.
7) Simmer for 10 minutes
8) Garnish with corriander leaves

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Beef rendang



My hubby cooked this for me coz i pulled a
"I-am-tired" cry baby show...
Did work well.. Wud have tried this more often had i known

beef - 10 small cubes
onions - 1 small , chopped into big pieces
coconut milk - 1/2 cup
turmeric pwdr - 1/2 tsp
cinnamon - 2 inch piece powdered
whole black pepper - 10 powdered
ajwain - 1/2 tsp powdered
chilli pwdr - 1/4 tsp
ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
vinegar - 1 tsp
seasame oil
lemon grass - 2 leaves. ( I used lemon rind)
sugar - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1) Mix beef with vinegar , set aside for 10 minutes.
Pressure cook beef cubes with ginger garlic paste till nearly cooked. ( I did for 12 whistles )
Drain the beef. Reserve a litle amount of stock.
2) In another pan heat seasame oil. Saute ginger and garlic.
3) Add all the powders and stir. When the spices are sizzling , add onions , lemon grass and the beef pieces. Fry till meat is browned.
4) Add little amount of stock and cook till all the water evaporates.
5) The meat should be done by now. Add coconut milk , salt and sugar. Cook and simmer for 10 minutes.
6) Now raise heat and cook rapidly till thickened.

Friday, January 26, 2007

Stuffed Papad

A simple and different snack.

Saute finely chopped vegetables ( and minced meat if u want) of ur choice.
Set aside.
Wet papad, stuff the vegetables and roll it.
Secure it with tooth pick and fry in hot oil for few seconds , just as u would do for papad.

(BE careful not to wet the papad too much , when u put it in oil , it might get dangerous)

Thirunelveli Kozhi Kuzhambu

Ingredients

For paste

grated coconut - 1/4 cup
red pearl onions - 12
ginger - 1 inch piece
garlic - 4 cloves
green chilly - 10
red chilli - 2
corriander seeds - 2 tps

For kuzhambu

chicken - 10 pieces marinated in turmeric pwdr
bay leaves - 2
sonf - 1 tsp
onion - 1 chopped
garlic paste - 1 tsp
curry leaves - 10 leaves

Method

1) Fry the ingredients for paste and grind them.
2) Heat oil , fry bat leaves , sonf.
3) Add onions. When it turns light brown add garlic paste and curry leaves.
Fry well. There should be no raw smell.
4) Add marinated chicken. Fry till it is nearly cooked without adding any water.
5) Pour the coconut paste prepared in step 1.
6) Fry for 5 minutes. Add enough water and simmer for 10 minutes.

Pista Chicken



This a tasty green coloured chicken gravy.

Ingredients

chicken - 8 pieces
Bay leaves - 1
sonf - 1 tsp
kala jeera - 1 tsp
curry leaves - few
onion - 1 big , chopped finely
spinach leaves - 2 tbs
butter - 2 tsp
corriander powder - 1 tsp
cumine powder - 1/4 tsp
garam masala - 1/4 tsp
milk - 1 1/2 cup
saffron - few strands crushed

For green paste:

corriander - 1/2 cup
mint - 8 leaves
curry leaves - 7 leaves
green chilly - 7
red pearl onion - 7
coconut - 1/4 cup
poppy seeds - 1 tsp
elaichi - 3
pista - 1/4 cup ( u can add more to enhance taste )

Method

1) Heat oil , add bay leaves , curry leaves.
2) Add kala jeera and sonf. Fry well
3) Stir in onions. When they turn pink add ginger garlic paste.
4) Add chicken pieces , corriander pwdr , cumine pwdr , salt and cook covered on low flame.
5) Meanwhile grind all the ingredients for the paste. U should have a green coloured paste.
6) When the chicken is half done , add butter , when it melts add spinach and let it fry in the butter. Mix well.
7) Add the green paste and cook covered till there is no raw smell.
8) Add milk and cook for 10 minutes
9) Finally add garam masala and saffron.
10) Remove after 5 minutes.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Chicken Kurma

This is my mommy's speciality .. I've never been able to do it as good as her :-(

Ingredients

chicken - 1 lb
elaichi - 3
cloves - 4
cinnamon - 1 inch piece
onion - 1/2 lb thinly sliced
ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
green chilly - 3 slit
chilli powder - 3/4 tsp
corriander powder - 1 tsp
curd - 3/4 cup
tomato - 2
coconut - 1/4 cup
cilantro - a handful
mint - 7 leaves

Method

1) Heat oil , add cloves , elaichi and cinnamon
2) Add onions, when they turn light brown add green chillies and ginger garlic paste
3) When the there is no more raw smell , add chicken , tomato , cilantro , mint and curd together.
4) Mix well and add chilli pwdr.
5) Reduce flame to low and cook covered for 1/2 hour. Do not add water. There will be enuf water from the chicken and curd.
6) The chicken will get cooked and the oil will come to the top.
Add 1 cup water.
Now add corriander powder, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
7) Grind coconut with a very small piece of cinnamon. U can also add cashews if u want.
Pour the mixture on the korma.
Cook covered for 15 minutes
The korma is ready to be served.

Creamy whole moong dal

This is a simple and tasty dish. For preparing this u will need

whole green moong dal - 1/2 cup
milk - 1/2 cup
onion - 1 big sliced
tomato - 1 medium , petite diced
ginger flakes - 1 inch piece sliced
garlic - 2 pods sliced
garam masala - 1/4 tsp
green chilly - 2 chopped
chilly pwdr- 3/4 tsp
cumin pwdr - 1/2 tsp
corriander pwdr - 1/2 tsp
sonf - 1/4 tsp
jeera - 1/2 tsp

Method

1) Pressure cook dal with milk and 1/2 cup water for 2 whistles. Set aside.
2) In a pan heat oil , fry sonf , jeera ,onions , ginger , garlic.
3) Add tomato , all pwdrs.
4) When cooked add garam masala.
5) Remove from flame , pour this on dal , add 1 cup water and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
6) Garnish with corriander leaves.

Stuffed Mushroom

for this u will need

whole mushroom - 15
onion - 1 big , chopped
shredded paneer - 1/2 cup
cabbage - 1/2
carrot - 2 grated
capsicum - 3 small pieces
brocolli - 1/4 cup cut into small pieces
ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
ginger flakes - 4
garlic flakes - 5
oyster sauce - 4 tsp
teriyaki sauce - 1 tsp
soya sauce - 1 tsp
lemon juice - 1 tsp
chilli pwdr - 1/2 tsp
pepper - as per tatse
white sauce - (as explained in recipe for kima egg kofta )
olive oil

Method

1) Heat oil
2) Add ginger , garlic flakes. When it turns light brown add onions , all the sauces other than white sauce. Add chilli pwdrs and pepper.
3) Add all the vegetable., salt.
4) Cook covered in low heat. Do not add any water.
5) All paneer. Cook for 5 more minutes
6) Add the white sauce.
7) Mix well. The stuffing is ready

For frying u will need

Bread crumbs
1 egg beaten
toothpicks
maida

1) Cut the mushroom into half and remove the inner portion
2) Put the vegetable stuffing in one half. Cover with the other and secure with toothpick.
3) Roll in maida , egg and bread crumbs
4) Deep fry.

Nargisi Kofta - Kima Egg Kofta

This is a dish filled with suprises...
When people look at it they think it is something like malai kofta..
They have the first bite .. mmm the outer layer made of malai , kima and egg tastes heavenly .... Thats not all ... as they crave for more of the kima , there is another suprise...
The malai kima layer encloses a boiled egg ... Do i need to say anything more ....

For the Kofta u will need

ground mutton/chicken/beef - 3/4 lb
Boiled eggs - 6
Beaten egg - 1
onion - 1 medium chopped finely
garlic - 2 pods chopped
ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
chilly pwdr - 1/2 tsp
turmeric pwdr - 1/2 tsp
paneer - take a 4 by 2 inch piece and grind it or use cottage cheese 3 tbs
lemon juice - 1 tsp
white milk sauce ( i explain the method of preparation later )
Olive oil
Rice flour for rolling

White milk sauce preparation :

Heat butter in a pan , when it melts add 2 tbs of all purpose flour and mix well.
Add 3/4 cup milk and keep stirring so that there are no lumps.
remove from flame once the sauce thickens.

Kofta prearation:

The whole process is done without adding water.

1) Heat olive oil , saute garlic , onion.
2) When onion turns light pink add kima , ginger-garlic paste , all the powders and salt.
3) cook covered in low heat. The kima should get cooked in its own water.
4) Add paneer , lemon juice. Allow for 2 minutes.
5) Add the sauce we prepared and mix well. turn off after a minute
6) Refrigerate for 2 hours. This will make the masala even thicker.
U should be able to make balls with it.
7) Cut the eggs into half breadthwise
8) Wrap the egg in the kima masala. U should now have a ball with egg center , covered with
kima - yummmmyy .
9) Heat oil for frying.
10) Roll kofta in rice flour , dip in beaten egg and fry for a minute.
Do not fry for long time as the egg coating might get burnt. Take the koftas immediately after the beaten egg coating gets cooked.
11) keep the fried koftas aside.

Gravy preparation:

For the gravy u will require

onion - 1 big , thinly sliced
tomato - 1 medium
garam masala - 1/2 tsp
ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
green chilly - 1 , slit
chilly pwdr - 1 tsp
cumine pwdr - 1/4 tsp
corriander powder - 1/2 tsp
evaporated milk - 1/2 cup
milk - 1 cup
corriander - a handful
cashews and almonds - a few
butter - 1 tbs
spinach - a few leaves for flavour
salt

Cook this gravy on medium fire

Method:

1) Heat oil , add onions , after 2 minutes add garam masala 1/4 tsp. Saute till onion becomes light brown.
2) Add green chilly , ginger garlic paste.
3) Add tomato , all the powders, remaining garam masala and saute till tomato is cooked well and there is no raw powder smell.
4) Make a paste of the above with half of the butter , cashews and almonds.
5) Heat butter , add spinach and fry till spinach is cooked.
6) Add the paste from step 4
7) add the milks. Allow to boil.
8) Pour on the koftas
9) Garnish with corriander leaves

Manga Meen Kuzhambu

This country style dish requires the following

Fish of ur choice - 5 pieces rubbed with turmeric pwder. I use shankarameen.
onion - 1 1/2 big onion thinly sliced and cut into half
tomato - 1 1/2 medium tomato. ( if using crushed tomato take 6 1/2 spoons )
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
urad dal split - 1 tsp
methi seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
jeera - 1 tsp
dry red chilly - 2
garlic - 6 pods
chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp
corriander powder - 3 spoons heaped
green chilly - 2 slit
turmeric powder - 1 tsp
cumie powder - 1/2 tsp
vinegar - 2 tsp
mango - as per taste , i usually put 2 pieces from the frozen mango we get from indian stores
curry leaves , corriander leaves as required
asofedita
gingelly oil - 2 tsp for final touch
oil of ur choice for cooking.
salt

Method

For processing mango:

deskin mango and boil it in water.
once the mnago is soft , mash it in the water.
Reserve the mixture.

For the kuzhambu:

1) Heat oil , splutter mustard seeds , add urad dal. When it turns brown add methi seeds , jeera
and red chillies ( dont break them).
2) When the methi seeds turn red add curry leaves , onion , 4 garlic pods sliced and hing.
3) When onions turn transparent add chilly powder on the oil. This gives the kuzhambu a bright red colour. saute for 1 minute.
4) Grind tomato with 2 pods of garlic and pour over onions.
5) Add cumine powder , corriander powder and turmeric powder. Saute for 2 minutes
6) Add green chillies, some curry leaves and corriander leaves.
7) Pour the mango mixture.
8) When it boils add vinegar and coriander leaves.
9) Boil on high heat for 10 minutes.
10) Add little hing.
11 ) Add the fish pieces. Allow to cook.
12) Add gingelly oil and simmer for 2 minutes.
13) Serve with akki roti or rice.

mutton kozhukattai - Dumplings in Mutton Gravy


You all have definitely had kozhukattai in one form or other ,
be it sweet or in the form of undi .. This dish takes it to the next level.
This dish is complete by itself , U need not make rotis or rice to go with it...
For a long long time the only kozhukatai i knew was this...


For the gravy u will need

mutton - 1/2 lb cut into small pieces.
bay leaf - 2
cardamom - 3
cloves - 4
cinnanom - 1 inch stick
kala jeera - 2 tsp
onion - 1 1/2 big onion thinly sliced ( or 1 big and 1 small onion )
tomato - 1 1/2 medium tomato diced ( if using puree , use 5 tsp )
corriander leaves - a handful
ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
corriander powder - 1 tsp
chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
yogurt - 2 tsp

green chilly - 6
whole pepper - 2 tsp
jeera - 2 tsp
sonf - 1 tsp
salt , oil as required.

For the kozhukattai

rice flour - 1 cup
shredded coconut - 3 tsp

Method for gravy

1 ) Grind the green chillies , pepper , jeera , three fourth of kala jeera , sonf to a coarse paste
and set aside.
2) Heat oil , fry bay leaves , cardamom , cinnamon and cloves , remaining kala jeera.
3) Add the sliced onion. When it turns light brown add ginger garlic paste.
Keep frying till u get rid of raw smell. ( around 2 minutes )
4) Add the chilly paste we prepared in step 1, saute for 2 minutes.
5) Add tomato , chilly powder , salt and corriander powder. Saute till raw smell goes.
6) Add mutton and yogurt. Let the yogurts water dry.
reduce heat and cook covered for 10 minutes or till the water from mutton dries up.
7) Add corriander , fry for sometime. ( The corriander should get fried to get the flavour)
8) Add enough water and pressure cook.
9) After mutton is cooked bring the gravy to a boil.

Meanwhile prepare the kozhukattai.

1) Mix rice flour with coconut.
2) Add 1/2 cup of the gravy that we have prepared.
U can also add some mutton pieces from the gravy for more taste.
3) Mix well and make medium sized kozhukattai.
4) Add these to the gravy
( The gravy should be boiling , otherwise the balls will dissolve in the gravy ).
5) let the balls cook for 15 minutes or till done.
6) After the balls are cooked , dissolve one ball in the gravy. This will make the gravy thick.
7) Remove from flame once the gravy become thick.