Ragi Rotti and Mangalorean style chicken curry/kori gasi/ ghashi

Healthy Ragi rotti with a delectable mangalorean kori gasi/ ghashi .This dish is spiced up with a unique and aromatic roasted spices, the coconut milk  gives a slight sweetness and the slow cooked chicken that just melts in your mouth, is out of this world.  Trust me when I say you will hum in joy once you make and taste this chicken curry.

 

Ingredients For kori gasi/ chicken curry

For the masala paste:

1. 1 tsp coconut oil
2. 3 tsp coriander
3.  6-7 fenugreek seeds
4. 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
5. 8 pieces of pepper corn
6. 1 tsp mustard seeds
7. 2 tsp cumin seeds
8. 10 red chillies
9. 2 cups grated coconut
10. 2 sliced onions
11. 10 cloves of garlic,crushed 
12. 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

 

For the main dish:

1. 2 Tbsp coconut oil
2. 2 sliced onions
3. 1-2 spring curry leaves
4. 2 chopped tomatoes
5. 800 gm curry-cut chicken
6. Salt to taste
7. 1 marble sized ball of tamarind,soaked in warm water. 
8. 1 cup coconut milk

1.  
   
   
   Method

•  Heat oil in pan. Add coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, pepper corn, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and red chillies and dry roast them.
• Now add grated coconut, turmeric powder, onions and garlic.Saute till the onion turn light brown.
• Then add water and grind them together to smooth paste. The masala is ready.
• Heat oil in pan. Add sliced onions, curry leaves and saute the onions till it turns light pink or translucent.
• Then add chopped tomatoes, curry cut chicken, prepared masala paste, salt, tamarind paste and coconut milk. Mix it well.
• Cover the pan and cook for about 20 minutes.Kori ghashi/gasi is ready to eat.

Goan inspired Minced Meat Ball Curry

 

Goan food falls into the rich tradition of the Konkan coast, happily complicated and enriched over the years by two very different invasions: first the colonial Portuguese and then the hippies. For all that, it’s not one blended cuisine: Konkan Hindu and Goan Catholic have their distinct dishes, the former typified by the heavy use of coconut and fish, the latter by vinegar, pork and beef
Today i am here with a special goan style meat ball curry which i learnt from my friend Leena Fernandis who is from goa itself a passionate cook and a lovely human being ...<3

Try this juicy meat balls cooked in a coconut milk based Goan curry and let the magic of Goan food take over...

Ingredients:

For the Meatballs:

1. 1/2 kg Minced meat (mutton or beef or pork)
2. ½ Teaspoon Pepper
3. 2 tsp red chilly paste or powder 
4. 1 Teaspoon Garam masala
5. ½ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
6.  2 Green chillies chopped
7. 1 Teaspoon Ginger Garlic paste
8. ½ Teaspoon/ goan coconut vinegar or white wine Vinegar
9.  3 slices of Bread
10. 1 tablespoon maida
11. 1 egg white

For the Curry paste

1. 5-6 kashmiri red chillies 
2. 1 onion
3.  2 Tomato
4. 1 Tablespoon Ginger Garlic paste
5. ½ Teaspoon Turmeric powder 
6. 1 Teaspoon Coriander seed
7. 1 Teaspoon Cumin
8.  2 sticks  cinnamon
9. 5-6 cloves
10. 5-6 black pepper

for the main curry:

• 1 medium Onion
• 1 fresh green Chilly
• 2 cups Coconut milk
• Pinch Salt
• Fresh Coriander leaves or mint for garnish (optional)

 

Method:

For the minced  meatballs,:

•  Combine all meatball ingredients listed. Use only  egg white because otherwise the texture of the mass turns very wet and that amount is more than enough to make it stick together. Mix the whole content to a smooth paste in a blender. Keep aside and let rest for some time.

 For the masala paste:

• Heat the oil in a pan and add in cinnamon,cloves onion and stir fry until soft and translucent.Then add the diced Tomatoes and stir fry for another 2 minutes until soft, then add the red chilli , ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, coriander seeds,pepper and cumin. Stir fry for a minute,cool and grind to smooth paste.

For the main curry:

• Heat oil in a pan add onions and fry for couple of minutes till translucent.
• and then add the ground paste and season with Salt. Mix and let simmer covered for 5-7 minutes. 
•  Now add coconut milk,the Curry will have changed into a gorgeous bright orange. Now form your meatballs by pressing and turning them into round balls and place them into the curry. Let cook for 10 minutes and turn the meatballs in the curry so that they get equally cooked. Cover with a lid and simmer for another 3 minutes before removing the curry from the heat.
• Garnish with freshly chopped Coriander (which I left out this time on the pictures).

Shahi Methi-Matar

 

This is a wonderful recipe to impress your guests at a dinner, but that does not mean that you cannot include it in your normal weekend meals.Every region you go has their own interpretation of a popular recipe. Take methi matar malai, for example – depending on where you go, you’ll find several versions, ranging from simple onion or  cashew -based gravy to a rich and exotic Mughlai-style curry made with cashew and cream.

 

 Ingredients

1. 2 cups fresh Green peas
2. 1/2 bunch or 2 cups of fresh fenugreek/ methi leaves washed and drained and chopped finely.
3. 1/4 tsp turmeric (Haldi)
4. 2 tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
5. 1 tsp Garam Masala
6. 1tsp white pepper powder
7. 1 tsp cumin seeds
8. 1/2 cup fresh cream (malai)
9. 1tsp sugar
10. 1 cup full fat milk
11. Cooking Oil
12. Salt

For the paste:

1. 10 cashewnuts
2. 1 large or 2 small onions – chopped fine
3. 1″ long piece ginger
4. 4 – 5 cloves garlic
5. 4 green cardamom
6. 4 green chilies
7. 2 tsp poppy seeds

Instructions

1. Mix some salt in chopped Fenugreek leaves and keep them aside for 10 minutes.
2. Boil green peas in 4 cups of water till soft and drain.
3. Take onions, green chilies, ginger, garlic, cashewnuts, poppy seeds and green cardamom, grind them all into a fine paste using little water. Consistency of masala should be fine.
4. After 10 minutes, squeeze the excess water out from fenugreek leaves. This helps to reduce the bitterness of fenugreek.
5. Heat 2tsp of ghee in a pan. Add fenugreek leaves and fry for a few minutes.
6. Keep the cooked fenugreek leaves aside. 
7. Same pan add 2 tbsp oil to it. Add cumin seeds, let it splutter. when cumin seeds gets roasted, add white paste, turmeric (Haldi) and salt, cook for 2 minute.
8. After White Masala gets roasted add garam masala, dried fenugreek leaves, sugar, green peas, cooked fenugreek leaves , cream, milk and salt.
9. Mix all the ingredients well and cook them for 6-7minutes.
10. Methi Matar Malai is ready to be served
11. Enjoy this delicious preparation with pooris or rotis.

Soya chunks masala

 
Enjoy this protein-packed recipe of soya chunks, any day of the week to pack on muscle and stay fit. Soya,a quick cooking protein that's tasty as well.

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups Soya Chunks
2.  1tsp Cumin Seeds
3.  2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder 
4. 1/2tsp Turmeric Powder
5.  2 tomatoes,pureed
6. 1/2 cup curd,beaten
7. 2 Green chillies,finely chopped
8.  Salt to taste
9. 3tbsp Ghee/Clarified butter
10. Coriander Leaves For garnishing

 For the masala paste:

1.  2-3 Onion chopped
2. 10-12 Garlic cloves
3. 1'inch Ginger
4. 2-3 Cardamoms
5. 4-5 Cloves
6. 1'inch Cinnamon
7. 10-12 Cashew-nuts
8. 1 cup Coconut freshly grated
9. 1tspSugar

Method:

• Boil 5-6 cups of water and completely immerse soya chunks in it. Add a pinch of salt.Cook it for 3-4 minutes.
• Once it is cooked,remove from flame.Rinse  well in cold water and squeeze dry..
• Heat 2 tsps of oil in a pan and fry chopped onion, cardamom,cinnamon,cloves,ginger and garlic cloves until onion turns light brown.
• Blend fried onion and garlic with grated coconut and cashew-nuts into a smooth paste adding about 2 cups of water.
• Heat ghee in a pot, add cumin seeds let it crackle.
• When cumin seeds are done, add tomato puree and drained soya chunks and saute for 5-6 minutes on medium flame.
• Now add ground masala paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, chopped green chilly,sugar, salt and saute again till oil comes on top.
• Now add beaten curd and mix it well with the masala, cook on a medium flame for 5-8 min. At this stage you can add little water if the consistency of the gravy is too thick .Continue cooking for 10 more minutes till the gravy is well coated with the soya chunks.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Serving suggestions:

• Goes well with Naan ,Roti,Dosa or Ghee Rice.

Cooking Tips

• To keep your eyes from stinging and watering while cutting onions, trying popping the onion in the freezer for 15 minutes before you plan to start cooking. Chilling the onion slows the release of the enzyme responsible for teary eyes.
• Clarified butter is the pure butterfat that remains when the milk solids and water have been removed from normal butter. Clarified butter can be used to cook at higher temperatures than normal butter. Ghee is a type of clarified butter common in Indian dishes.
• Here's a trick for peeling garlic quickly. Put the garlic clove on your cutting board. Take a knife with a thick blade and place the blade flat across the garlic clove (the clove should be closer to the handle than the middle of the blade). Whack down on the flat side of the blade with your free hand to smoosh the garlic a bit. Done correctly, the skin will peel right off.

Brahmin style vegetable Kurma (no onion- no garlic)

vegetable kurma

This Shravan try this amazing veg gravy recipe from south India without Onion and Garlic!!!

Among Hindus many people discourage eating onion and garlic along with non-vegetarian food during festivals or Hindu holy months of Shrawan.As a true GSB i too avoid cooking food with garlic or onion during our festivals like Sutta punnav,krishna ashtami and gouri-ganesha.

Ingredients:

1 Potato diced

1/2 cup Green beans sliced

1/2 Cup Green Peas

1/2 Cup Carrots cut into 1'pieces

1tsp Mustard seeds

2 spring curry leaves

1/2" Cinnamon

3 Cloves

Salt to taste

2 Tsp ghee

Grind to Paste*:

1. 1/4 Cup Coriander Leaves
2. 1/2 Cup grated Coconut
3. 4-5 Green chillies
4. 1/4 Tsp Jeera
5. 1/4 Tsp Saunf/Fennel Seeds
6. 1 Tbsp Roasted Channa Dhal/Putane/hurigadale
7. 1/8th Tsp Turmeric Powder
8. 1 small piece of Ginger
9. 1 marble sized tamarind ball

No onion-no garlic veg kurma

Preparation:

Heat ghee in a pressure cooker, add mustar,curry leaves cinnamon, cloves, and fry for a couple of seconds.

Now add chopped vegetables and fry for a minutes,add salt and 2 cups of water and cook till done/pressure cook on high for 2 whistle.

Grind all the Ingredients under Grind to Paste* with little water.

Now open the cooker when all the pressure/steam has subsided and the pressure cools down.

Add the ground paste and salt if needed,mix it well.You can add water if needed to adjust the gravy according to your requirement .

Cook on a low flame for about 10-15 minutes or till done.

Serve hot with roti or puri

Cholar Dal

  

Cholar dal, a popular bengali dish served during the festive season along with luchi ( puri).This is simple dal cooked with some aromatic whole spices till soft and mushy and usually served with fried coconut pieces.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2cups Split Bengal gram /chana dal
• 2tbsp Ghee
• 1tbsp Mustard oil
• 2tbsp Coconut ( small 1/4 inch thin slices)
• 2 Whole dried red chillies
• 1 Bayleaf
• 3 Cloves
• 1/4tsp mustard
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 2 Green cardamom
• 1/2tsp Cumin/jeera
• 3 Green chillies( finely chopped )
• 1/2tsp Turmeric
• 1tsp Ginger ( crushed)
• 1tsp Red chilly powder
• 2tsp Jaggery

Cooking Directions

1. Soak Bengal gram for 30 minutes.
2. In a pan,heat 1tbsp Ghee for about 1 minute.Add coconut pieces and fry till light brown.Remove and keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a cooker add mustard (optional) red chillies ,bay leaf,cloves,cinnamon,cardamom and cumin seeds.Stir for a few seconds.
4. Add fried coconut pieces and all the other ingredients except water and remaining 1tbsp ghee.
5. Stir and fry for about 2 minutes.Add Water and stir once.Close cooker and cook till done or take 3-4 whistle.
6. Allow the cooker to cool naturally .Open the cooker,pour the remaining 1tbsp ghee evenly over dal. Garnish with coriander leaves .This dal is specially relished with hot Luchi/Maida puries an authentic bengali dish

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Palak-kabuli/ chick peas in spinach gravy

Ingredients

• 1 cup White chickpeas/kabuli chana
• 3 bunches Spinach
• 3 Onions
• 3 Tomatoes
• 10 Garlic cloves
• 2 Ginger (1 inch) pieces
• 3 Cardamom
• 6-7 Cloves
• 2 Cinnamon (1 inch) pieces
• 1tsp Cummin/jeera
• 2tsp Red chilly powder
• 2tbsp Oil
• 2tsp Kasoori methi

ONion paste

Boil spinach in water for 2-3 mins

Blanched and drain spinach

Spinach puree

Boiled chickpeas 

 Cooking Directions

1. Wash and clean spinach and blanch them for a 2-3 mins and puree.
2. Soak kabuli chana overnight and next day morning pressure cook with a tsp of salt for 30 mins or take 3-4 whistle.

For onion paste:

• Heat 1tbsp of oil in a pan,add cloves,cinnamon,cardamom,onion,garlic and ginger.fry it well until onion changes to golden brown.let it cool before making smooth paste.

Method for the gravy:

1. Now in the same pan add remaining oil put some jeera,let it crackle, then add Finely chopped tomatoes,red chilly powder and salt to taste,stir till oil comes on top.
2. Add in palak puree,boiled chickpeas and cook till the gravy becomes thick,at this stage check for seasoning and add kasoori methi lightly crushed with your hands.
3. Boil for a minute and switch off the gas.
4. Garnish with onion rings and fresh red or green chillies
5. Serve hot with chapati or rice.