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Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Potato Podimas/ Urulaikizhangu Podimas



Potato Podimas
Ingredients
Potato medium- 4 nos
Onion large( chopped)- 1 no
Green chilly broken- 3 nos
Ginger minced- 1 tsp
Curry leaves few
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder- 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil- 4 tbsp
Urad dal- 1 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Urulaikizhangu Podimas
Method
Boil the potatoes until tender, peel the skin and mash. Add mashed potatoes to a bowl season with turmeric powder, red chilli powder and required salt, mix thoroughly. Heat oil in a pan when hot add mustard seeds and allow to crackle. Now add curry leaves, onion, green chilly and ginger. Fry for few seconds until onion turns slightly brown. Add the mashed potatoes to the pan and fry on low heat until the onions are mixed with potatoes and potato are dry and doesn't stick. Serve hot with steamed rice and vathal kuzhambu. Can be also served with poori or chapati as side dish.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Chicken Vindaloo Recipe

Chicken Vindaloo

Ingredients
Chicken pieces( cooked)- 250 gms
Potatoes boiled and cubed- 1 no
Chicken stock- 200 ml
Vinegar- 2 tsp
Salt to taste

Masalas to grind
Kashmiri red chilli- 7 nos(+/-)
Garlic cloves- 8 nos
Ginger chopped- 1"
Cumin seeds- 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Pepper powder- 1 tsp
Vinegar- 1 tbsp
Chicken Vindaloo
Method
Soak red chillis in hot water for 1 hour. Drain the chillis and grind with other masalas to fine paste adding little water. Mix the ground masala to chicken stock and bring to boil over medium heat. Lower heat simmer for 10 mins. Add the cooked chicken pieces and potato to the simmering gravy and cook for 5 mins. Season with salt, mix in vinegar and simmer again for 5 mins. Serve hot over steamed rice.
Chicken Vindaloo

Adapted from East Indian Kitchen Michale Swamy
( Note I added red food color to get vibrant look its optional to use food color)

Monday, August 20, 2012

Sweet Corn Vegetable Soup

Sweet Corn Vegetable Soup

Ingredients
Sweetcorn( tinned)- 1 can
Carrot finely chopped- 1/2 no
French beans finely chopped- 5 nos
Garlic cloves minced- 2 nos
Cooked noodles- 4 tbsp
Spring onion/ Scallion whites chopped- 2 tbsp
Spring onion/ Scallion greens chopped- 2 tbsp
Cornflour/ Corn starch- 2 tbsp
Cold milk- 1/4 cup
White pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Water- 3 cup
Sweet Corn Veg Soup

Method
Add tinned sweetcorn to a bowl and mash with a potato masher until creamy. In a large pot add the mashed sweetcorn, finely chopped carrot, french beans, minced garlic, spring onion whites and 3 cups water. Mix well, place pot on heat and bring it to boil. Once the soup starts boiling add chopped green onions, cooked noodles, required white pepper and salt, simmer soup for 2 mins. In a small bowl add cold milk and dissolve the cornflour. Add this cornflour mixture to the simmering soup, increase the heat and keep stirring the soup constantly until soup thickens.
Sweet Corn Soup

Friday, August 17, 2012

Fish Manchurian Dry Restaurant Style



Fish Manchurian
Ingredients
Fish pieces cubed( I used Seer fish/ Vanjaram)- 500 gms
Onion medium diced- 1 no
Spring onions whites finely chopped- 2 tbsp
Green chilli diagonally sliced- 4 nos
Capsicum/ Green bell pepper diced- 1 no( optional)
Ginger minced- 1" piece
Garlic cloves minced- 4 nos
Spring onion greens chopped- 2 tbsp
Dark soya sauce- 2 tsp
Red chilli paste or powder- 1 tsp
Vinegar- 1 tsp
Ajinomoto- less than 1/4 tsp
Pepper powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt- 1 tsp
Sugar- 1/4 tsp
Oil- 3 tbsp

Restaurant Style Fish Manchurian
Ingredients for batter
Corn flour- 4 tbsp
Maida/ All purpose flour- 4 tbsp
Rice flour- 2 tbsp( optional)
Cooking soda/ Baking soda- few pinches.
Red chilli powder- 1 1/2 tsp
Ajinomoto- less than 1/4 tsp
Salt- 1/2 tsp
Kesar/ Red food color- few pinches
Water required
Oil to deep fry
Fish Manchurian Dry
Method
In a deep bowl combine the batter ingredients, add required water, mix well and make a semi thick batter. Heat oil in a pan to deep fry, when oil is hot dip the fish pieces in the prepared batter, coat fish pieces well with batter and drop carefully into hot oil. Fry the fish pieces until golden brown and drain the fried fish pieces on paper towel( fish pieces will cook within one minute). Next to prepare sauce, heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan when hot add diced onion, chopped spring onion whites, sliced green chilli, minced ginger, minced garlic and diced capsicum. Stir fry the onion and other ingredients on high heat for a min. Now lower the heat and add dark soya sauce, red chilli paste, vinegar, ajinomoto, pepper powder, sugar and salt to the pan. Stir fry for few more seconds and add the fried fish pieces. Increase the heat and stir fry until the fish pieces are coated well with onion mixture and are dry. Finally garnish with spring onion greens and remove from heat. Serve hot restaurant style fish manchurian dry with fried rice or noodles of your choice.

Kalmi Kabab

Kalmi Kabab

Ingredients
Chicken pieces( boneless)- 500 gms
Thick curd- 1/2 cup
Ginger and Garlic paste- 2 tbsp
Green chilli paste- 1 tsp
Besan flour- 2 tbsp
Egg beaten- 1 no
Food color yellow- pinch
Garam masala powder- 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Butter or Oil for basting
Kalmi Kabab

Method
In a large bowl add curd, ginger and garlic paste, green chilli paste, besan flour, beaten egg, food color, garam masala powder and required salt. Whisk everything well to get smooth paste, add the chicken pieces to this marination and marinate chicken pieces for atleast four hours. Pre heat oven at 300 f, meanwhile skew the chicken pieces into a metal skewers. Place the chicken skewers in the center rack of the oven and place a baking tray in the lower rack of the oven to collect the drippings. Bast the chicken pieces with butter and turn the chicken pieces occasionally until the Kalmi kababs are browned on all sides and cooked completely.
Garnish with onion slices and serve along with tandoori roti or with pulao.
Chicken Kabab

Methi Chapathi/ Fenugreek Roti

Methi Chapathi

Ingredients
Wheat flour/ Atta- 2 cups
Besan flour- 1/4 cup
Kasoori methi- 1/4 cup
Thick Curd- 1 tbsp
Coriander powder- 2 tsp
Cumin powder- 1 tsp
Red chilli powder- 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil required 
Water required
Methi Chapathi
Method
Soak kasoori methi leaves in 2 tbsp water. In a deep bowl combine wheat flour, besan, 3 tbsp oil, curd, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder, soaked kasoori methi leaves and required salt. Knead into soft dough using little water. Set aside dough for 30 mins. Divide dough into equal sized balls, roll each dough ball into thin chapatis( discs) using rolling board and pin. Heat griddle or tawa, when hot transfer chapati on to tawa. Cook on one side for few secs and flip on other side smear required oil around the chapati and cook for few more seconds until golden brown spots appear on both sides of chapati. Serve hot Methi Chapati with Dal Curry or Raita of your choice.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Goda Masala Chicken Curry- Maharashtrian Special


Chicken Curry with Goda Masala

Ingredients
Chicken pieces with bone- 300 gms

Onion medium chopped- 2 nos
Tomatoes medium chopped- 1 no
Red chilli- 2 nos
Ginger and Garlic paste- 1 tbsp
Curry leaves- few
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil- few tbsp
Curry leaves and Coriander leaves to garnish


Goda masala ingredients
( Roast the below ingredients in 1 tsp oil and grind to fine powder)

Cloves- 4 nos
Cinnamon stick- 1" piece
Bay leaf- 1 no
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tbsp
Shai jeera- 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds- 2 pinches
Coriander seeds- 4 tbsp
Dry red chilli- 7 nos
Sesame seeds- 1 tbsp
Grated coconut- 1/4 cup
Maharashtrian Chicken Curry

Method 

Pressure cook chicken pieces with onion, red chilli, ginger and garlic paste, tomatoes, curry leaves, turmeric powder and 1 cup water. Heat oil in a sauce pan, on low heat add goda masala powder and saute for 2 seconds. Add pressure cooked chicken along with its gravy to the pan. Season with salt and simmer until the gravy thickens. Serve hot Goda masala chicken curry with steamed rice.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Pachai Paruppu Sambar/ Moongdal Sambar



Moongdal Sambar
This is a bland and non spicy sambar. My mom prepares this pachai paruppu sambar when we had heavy or spicy masala meals previous day. Any veggie side dish with this non spicy sambar with steamed rice makes a complete meal, makes you feel light all day. Suitable food for kids or those who had upset stomach or fever.

Ingredients
Split Moongdal/ Pachai Paruppu- 3/4 cup
Small onions/ Shallots- 10 nos
Tomatoes ripe- 4 nos
Green chilli slit- 5 nos( +/-)
Garlic sliced- 2 cloves
Curry leaves- few
Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp( optional)
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Urad dal- 1 tsp
Hing/ Asafetida- pinch
Oil- 2 tbsp
Water- 2 cups
Pachai Paruppu Sambar
Method
Pressure cook and mash moongdal and set aside. Heat oil in a deep pan, when oil is hot add mustard seeds and let it crackle. Add hing,urad dal and fry till browned. Now add onions, curry leaves, green chilli and garlic. Saute until onion turns white, add the tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are mashed. Add water and bring mixture to boil. Add the cooked and mashed moongdal to the boiling water and mix well. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt to boiling sambar. Simmer moongdal sambar for 5 mins or until slightly thickens. Garnish with coriander leaves if required and serve hot with steamed rice.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Chettinad Chicken Soup/ Kozhi Rasam




Chettinad Chicken Soup
This an yet another authentic chettinad recipe from our home. This chicken rasam can be either served as soup for starter or as rasam with steamed rice. Very good remedy for cold.

Ingredients
Chicken with bone- 250 gms
Onion medium chopped- 2 nos
Tomato small chopped- 3 nos
Sombu/ fennel seeds- 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves chopped few
Corinader leaves chopper few
Oil required
Salt to taste

Roast and grind to fine powder
Coriander seeds- 2 tsp
Dry red chilli- 3 nos
Pepper- 1 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds- 2 tsp
Sombu/ Fennel seeds- 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon stick- 1" piece
Garlic cloves- 6 nos
Chettinad Chicken Rasam
Method
Heat oil in pan when hot add fennel seeds fry for few seconds. Add chopped onion, curry leaves and tomato, saute for few mins. Now add chicken and turmeric powder, saute for few more minutes. Add 2 1/2 cup water and required salt to the sauted chicken. Let the chicken cook covered for 20 mins if cooking in pan. If using pressure cooker let chicken cook for one whistle. Once the chicken is cooked add the ground spice powder, bring the chicken soup to boil and turn off the heat. Garnish with coriander leaves. The consistency of soup can be adjusted by adding or reducing water.
Kozhi Rasam

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Mutton Fat Pepper Curry/ Kozhuppu Kuzhambu



Kozhuppu Kuzhambu
This is a very popular kuzhambu( gravy) in Chettinad, very delicious to eat with hot steamed rice. In this recipe we dont use mutton( lamb) flesh or bone parts, while buying request the butcher for only mutton fat. This curry gets thickened very soon becoz of the fat content, every time this curry has to be heated before serving. Now days thie fat curry is diminishing from Chettinad homes becoz of the health factors but the taste is 100% worth eating once in lifetime.

Ingredients
Mutton fat- 250 gms
Onion small chopped- 1 no
Tomato medium chopped- 1 no
Garlic cloves chopped- 4 nos
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Black pepper corns coarsely ground- 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder- 1 tsp 
Coriander powder/ Dhania thool- 1 1/2 tbsp
Cumin powder- 1/2 tbsp
Water required
Salt to taste
Oil- 2 tbsp
Curry leaves few
Mutton Fat Curry
Method
Heat oil in a pan when hot add chopped onions, curry leaves, garlic and mutton fat. Fry for few mins until fat slightly cooks. Now add chopped tomatoe, turmeric powder, pepper powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and required salt. Fry for few seconds and add required water. Cover pan and simmer curry for 20 minutes or until oil floats on top. 

Akkaravadisal/ Moong dal Rice Payasam

Akkaravadisal

Ingredients
Moong dal- 200 gms
Thick coconut milk- 1 cup
Thin coconut milk- 1 cup
Raw rice( coarsely powdered)- 4 tbsp
Jaggery( powdered)- 200 gms
Cardamom powder- few pinches
Akkara adisil

Method
Pressure cook moong dal and rice until mushy and mash until pasty.  When the moong dal and rice mixture is hot add the powdered jaggery, both thick and thin coconut milk and cardamom powder. Mix well until jaggery melts, garnish with fried cashewnuts and serve.
( Note you can adjust the consistency of the dessert by adding or decreasing coconut milk.)
Moong dal Payasam

Friday, August 3, 2012

Prawn 65/ Eral Bajji



Prawn 65
Ingredients
Prawn/ Shrimp/ Era- 250 gms
Cornflour- 2 tsp
Maida/ All purpose flour- 2 tsp
Ginger piece- 1 no
Garli cloves- 3 nos
Green chilli- 2 nos
Red chilli.powder- 1/4 tsp
Ajinomoto few pinch
Red food color- little
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry
Era Bajji
Method
Grind ginger, garlic and green chilli together to a coarse paste without adding water. In a bowl mix cornflour, maida, ajinomoto, food color, ground paste, required salt and chilli powder. Add little water and mix everything well to form thick batter as prepared for bajji. Add the prawns to batter. Heat oil in a pan to deep fry, when oil is hot drop the batter coated prawns one by one into hot oil and fry for few seconds. Drain the prawns when they turn golden brown in color on to a paper towel. Serve garnished with fried curry leaves.
Prawn Bajji

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Mutton Kuzhambu/Simple Mutton Curry



Mutton Curry
Ingredients
Mutton( goat) pieces- 1/2 kg
Small onions/ Shallots- 100 gm
Tomato chopped- 3 nos
Ginger and Garlic paste- 2 tsp
Red chilli powder- 3 tsp
Coriander powder- 2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon stick- 2"
Cloves- 6 nos
Sombu/ Fennel seeds- 1/2 tsp
bay leaf- 1
Curry leaves few
Oil- 3 tbsp
Salt to taste
Mutton Kuzhambu
Method
Heat oil in a pressure pan when hot add cinnamon, cloves, sombu and bay leaf, fry for few secs. Add chopped onions and fry until onions turns transparent. Then add the tomatoes, ginger and garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Fry the masalas till the raw smell leaves. Now add the mutton pieces to the pan, fry for few more mins and add 2 cups water and required salt. Cover the pan with lid and pressure cook mutton curry for 4 whistles or for 20 mins on medium heat. Garnish with curry leaves and serve. This simple mutton gravy goes with hot steamdd rice, idli, dosa, chapati, appam etc
Simple Mutton Curry

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Chettinad Chicken Masala


Chettinad Chicken Masala

Ingredients
Chicken with bone- 500 gms
Onion medium chopped- 1 no
Tomato small chopped-1 no
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder- 1 tsp
Coconut milk( thick)- 1 cup
Salt to taste
Oil to fry
Dry red chilli- 2 nos
Curry leaves few
Bay leaf- 1 no
Cinnamon- 1 stick
Cardamom- 2 nos


Roast and grind to fine powder
Coriander seeds- 2 tbsp
Jeera/ cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Sombu/ fennel seeds- 1 tsp
Pepper- 1/4 tsp
Cashew nuts- 6 nos

Masala Chicken
Method
Heat oil in a pan when hot add dry chilli, curry leaves, bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom and fry for few seconds. Add the chopped onions and saute until transparent. Now add the chicken pieces and fry until it turns white. Add the chopped tomato, ground masala powder, chilli powder, turmeric and required salt. Add thick coconut milk and 1 cup water to the chicken and bring it to boil. Cover pan with lid and simmer for 20 mins or until chicken is cooked. Remove the lid, increase heat and fry chicken until semi dry.