Karaikudi Koli curry

One of the biggest city in the district of Sivaganga, Karaikudi lies in the state of Tamil Nadu between two prominent place of Trichy and Rameshwaram. The cuisine is very similar to chettinad .Chettinad cuisine is famous for its use of a variety of spices used in preparing mainly non-vegetarian food. The dishes are hot and pungent with fresh ground masalas, . . The meat is restricted to fish, prawn, lobster, crab, chicken and lamb. Chettiars do not eat beef and pork.Most of the dishes are eaten with rice and rice based accompaniments such as dosais, appams, idiyappams, adais and idlis

Ingredients

• 1kg chicken curry cut pieces , skin removed
• 2tbsp oil
• 2tsp Haldi/turmeric
• 2tsp Salt

For the masala paste

• 1/2 Coconut (Grated)
• 10 spicy red chillies
• 1tbsp Coriander seeds
• 1 inch Ginger
• 2 inch cinnamon pieces
• 1 bulb Garlic
• 5 Cardamom pods
• 1/2tsp Turmeric powder/haldi
• 2 spring Curry leaves
• 10 Pepper corns
• 2 star anise
• 2 Dagad phool
• 10 Cloves

For the main dish

• 1tbsp oil
• 1tsp Mustard seeds
• 1tsp Cumin/jeera seeds
• 1/2tsp Fennel/saunf
• 4-5 Onions( chopped)
• 3 Tomatoes ( chopped)
• 1 ball Tamarind (marble sized ball)

Cooking Directions

1. Marinate the chicken with turmeric ,oil and salt for 30-45 mins
2. Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water and prepare smooth pulp
3. For the paste:
4. Dry roast all the ingredients till golden brown and make smooth paste.
5. Take a kadai/big pan,heat some oil.Add mustard ,jeera,saunf and let the spices crackle.Now add onion and saute again for 2 mins until light brown.
6. Add tomatoes and cook till mushy and well blended.
7. Now add marinated chicken and fry for a minute on high flame.
8. Add in roasted and ground masala paste , tamarind pulp and 2 cups of hot water and mix it well.
9. Cover it with a lid and cook for about 30-35 mins or till chicken is well cooked.
10. Garnish with fried Curry leaves.

Southern curried chicken

                                                                                                                      

   

                   

Southern curried chicken is packed with spices and flavour and surprisingly simple to prepare.I just love to have this with hot apams

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30-35 mins
Ingredients

• 1/2 kg chicken curry cut pieces , skin removed
• 1tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1/2 freshly grated coconut ( ground to paste)
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 6 Green cardamom pods
• 6 cloves, whole
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 12 curry leaves
• 3 to 4 whole green chiles
• 1 (1 1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, cut into thin strips
• 6 garlic cloves , finely chopped
• 1tbsp chilly powder
• 3 tablespoons vegetable or coconutoil
• salt to taste
• 10 Cashew nuts for garnishing
• Small handful chopped fresh coriander/cilantro, leaves and stems

Cooking Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the cinnamon,cardamom pods, and cloves, and fry for 20 to 30 seconds, or until the spices are fragrant. Add the onion, and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown.
2. Add the curry leaves, chilles, ginger, and garlic, and reduce the heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the garlic has softened. Add the chicken pieces, and stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Season the chicken, with salt, chilly powder and freshly ground black pepper
3. Add the garam masala and enough boiling water to reach halfway up the chicken pieces. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover the pan with a lid, reduce the heat to a low heat and simmer the mixture for 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Remove the lid from the pan, turn the heat up to a high heat, and boil off any excess liquid, stirring continuously.
5. Once the liquid has almost completely boiled away, add the coconut paste,a cup of boiling water and the lemon juice, and stir well. Cover the pan again and continue to cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the chicken pieces are tender, and completely cooked through.
6. Just before serving, stir in the chopped coriander/cilantro.

Note: Use drumsticks in this recipe to make ideal outdoor party food - the bones will also add maximum flavour to the dish.

Butter Fish sambar curry

Butter Fish sambar curry

I only cook fish when I can find extremely fresh product at the market. I discovered some wonderful looking Butter fish at the market.this is a tasty fish packed with essential, healthy, fatty acids.I pan-fried some of the fish which are bigger in size and then i tried this gravy for the remaining, it's creamy and very flavourful due to the use of sambar powder and curry leaves . If butter fish isn't your thing, you could replace it with other fish, It's just as delicious.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients

• 10 (1/2kg) Butter fish( soundale in konkani)
• 1/2 Coconut,grated
• 2 heaped tsp Sambar powder
• 2tsp Chilly powder
• 2tsp Ginger ( chopped)
• 1 Marble sized ball of Tamarind
• 3-4 Green chillies
• 2 Onion ( medium)
• 2 Tomatoes chopped
• 5-6 Garlic cloves ( finely chopped)
• 1 spring Curry leaves
• 1tbsp Coconut oil
• 1/4tsp Turmeric powder/haldi

Cooking Directions

1. Ask your fishmonger to chop the head and and tail. Make sure the fish skin is scaled.
2. Now Wash and clean the fish. Place the fish in a small, shallow dish. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Season with salt ,haldi and 1 clove of crushed garlic. Make sure the spices coat the fish. Marinate the fish for no more than 10 minutes.
3. Now grind coconut,chilly powder,sambar powder,ginger and tamarind to smooth paste and our masala paste is ready.
4. Heat oil in a sauce pan ,add onion and fry until translucent .
5. Add chopped remaining garlic and saute for a minute till light golden brown.
6. Drop some tomatoes chopped and chopped green chillies, saute again till the tomato pieces are well cooked and mushy.
7. Now pour the ground masala paste into the sauce pan and add 11/2 cup of water and some curry leaves cut into small pieces into the gravy.
8. Add little salt and be careful as we added salt while marinated the fish.
9. Bring to boil for 4-5 mins on low flame and switch off the gas.
10. Serve hot with Red boiled rice or plain white rice

Uppittu/upma

Uppittu/upma is an integral part of the south Indian palate.South indian breakfast mostly includes uppitu and its variants .Uppittu is simple and quick to cook.You can make variety of upma or uppittu. Today i am here with the basic or plain uppittu/upma served during our south indian weddings and also consumed during our fast as it doesn't have onion or garlic .Uppittu and sev with coffee used to be the standard menu in almost all the hotels in south india

Ingredients

• 1 cup Bombay Rava/semolina
• 1/2 cup Ghee
• 1tsp Mustard seeds
• 3 Green chillies (slit)
• 1 spring Curry leaves
• 1/2tsp Urad dal
• 10 Cashew nut ( break into pieces)
• 2-3 tsp Sugar
• 2 1/4 cup Water

Cooking Directions

1. Heat Ghee in a pan add urad dal and mustard,let it splutter.Then add cashew nut and fry till golden brown and then the green chillies and fry for a couple of seconds .At last add curry leaves and fry again.Now add water ,sugar and salt to taste.
2. Bring the water to boil,lower the flame,then slowly add semolina little at time from left hand and keep stirring with your right hand to avoid any lumps.
3. Keep stirring till rava/semolina is semi solid,cover it with a lid for 2 mins on lowest flame.
4. Now open and mix it well and switch off the flame.
5. Serve hot with sev

2nd method:

1. Heat oil in a pan add uraddal,mustard,greenchillies and curry leaves and some cashew nuts ,then add soji/rava  and fry over a low flame to a light brown color,stirring continuously
2. Now add 21/4 cup of boiling water.Stir well,cover and cook over a low flame till soft,stirring twice at intervals of 3-4 mins.

variation: add some onion while after frying rava for 2nd method or add onion just after the tempering and before adding water in 1st method.

You can also garnish it with some fresh grated coconut and coriander leaves and a juice of lime to enhance the taste.

Most of the time i follow the 1st method as it takes less time than 2nd.

Pepper Rasam

Pepper Rasam

There are so many ways of making rasam or saru (konkani word),every family has their own secret ingredients some add toordal and some prepare it with ready made rasam powder and what not.But my pepper rasam is very simple and easy.I prepare this pepper garlic rasam during winter and rainy season especially when my kids are suffering from cold and cough and sometimes when my hubby demands,he simply adores soups and this pepper rasam is one of his favourite.

Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10-12 mins
Ingredients

• 3 Tomato ( chopped)
• 1 Tamarind (marble sized ball)
• 2tsp Pepper corns (powder)
• 5-6 Garlic cloves ( crushed)
• 2 Dry red chillies (Whole)
• 1 spring Curry leaves
• 1/2tsp Mustard
• 1/2tsp Red chilly powder
• 2tsp Coconut oil/Ghee
• 1/4tsp Sugar (optional)

Cooking Directions

1. Grind tomatoes,tamarind,red chilly powder and garlic cloves to smooth paste.
2. Now add 5 cups of water to ground tomato paste and bring to boil.
3. Add salt and sugar and boil for 2-3 mins.
4. Now prepare tempering by heating coconut oil or ghee in a small pan,add mustard,let it crackle ,then add red chilly pieces and curry leaves.Lastly add coarsely powdered pepper corns and switch off the gas and pour this over the rasam and our hot and tangy rasam is ready to relish!

Serve hot with rice and pappad or have it like a soup

Garlic - carrot pickle

Here is the easiest way to make pickles.It is much faster than the old method your grandmother used to with the tons of pickling salt and de-scumming the brine! This method is so easy,anyone one can do this!

Ingredients

• 1 cup Garlic cloves ( peeled)
• 2 Medium sized carrots ( cut into 1" long pieces)
• 1tbsp Vinegar
• 10-12 Whole dried red chillies
• 1tsp Coriander
• 1/2tsp Cummin/Jeera
• 7-8 Pepper corns
• 1tsp Mustard seeds
• 8-10 Methi seeds
• 1 Marble sized ball of tamarind
• 1/4 cup Mustard oil

Cooking Directions

• Apply salt and vinegar to carrot pieces and leave it for 30 mins.

• In the meantime half boil garlic in 1 cup of water,drain and let it dry completely.

• Now roast all the ingredients separately till you get, nice aroma of the spices and turns light brown colour.

• First finely powder the roasted chillies,coriander,cumin,tamarind and pepper.
• Now add mustard and methi to the same chilly powder and powder coarsely and our pickle masala is ready .

• Now heat oil in a pan and stir fry garlic for 20-30 seconds ( do not brown the garlic).

• Add in ground pickle masala and switch off the gas.
• Let it cool down completely .
• Now mix the garlic mixture to the pickled carrots and mix it well.Our Pickle is ready.
• You can have it fresh or keep it at least 4-5 hours before serving.
• Keeps fresh for a couple of weeks or can be refrigerated for couple of months 

Chinese Samosa

Ingredients

• 2 cups Cabbage(finely chopped)
• 2tbsp Capsicum( finely chopped)
• 2tbsp Carrots(shredded)
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• 1tsp Light soy sauce
• 1/2tsp red chilly sauce
• 1tsp Garlic ( chopped)
• 1 Green chilly (finely chopped)
• 1tsp white pepper powder
• 1/2 cup Fine semolina/Chiroti rava
• 1cup Maida
• 3tbsp hot oil

Cooking Directions

1. Sift flour and semolina into a mixing bowl, add vegetable oil and mix with your hands until a crumbly mixture is achieved.
2. Add the water and salt mix until you have a soft dough. Now knead the dough for 10 minutes.
3. Form the dough into a ball and coat the outside with vegetable oil. Put the dough into a plastic bag and set it aside for about 30 minutes.
4. For samosa filling:-
5. Heat 1tbsp of oil in a wok or pan,add chopped garlic,giner and sauté for a couple of seconds,add all the chopped vegetable and stir fry on high heat till the mixture is dry.
6. Add soy sauce,chilly sauce and stir it again for a couple of seconds and switch off the flame.
7. Now add the salt and white pepper powder mix it well.let it cool a bit before making samosas.
8. Method of making samosas:
9. Knead the dough again and divide it into 12 equal portions.
10. Form each portion into a ball. Roll the ball out on a floured surface to make a circle approximately 8 inches in diameter.
11. Now cut the circle into 4 triangle pieces.
12. Now fill each triangle with the stuffing and close it and Seal the edge with a little water on your fingers. Press the edges to make the seal tight.
13. Now heat oil in a pan and deep fry 2-3 samosas at a time ,till crisp and golden brown colour.
14. Serve hot with  garlic sauce.

Green peas-chow chow Kurma

12-12-12 Its the centurys last sequential date. For some, it represents luck. For others, its a day of romance. For most of us, its just another Wednesday. Regardless of your beliefs, 12/12/12 comes along with some rather amusing facts and superstitions.On this special day thought of cooking something special for my family.                      

 Today I've prepared 2 dishes using Chow chow(kannada -seemay badane) which grew in my kitchen garden.This vegetable i a delectable pleasantly coloured and easy to cook vegetable.It can be easily grown by planting a mature sprout got from the market ( which can not be used for cooking) and trailed over a pandal or in your balcony or compound wall.to enjoy a basketful of harvest. You can make so many yummy dishes from this humble vegetable. I've exactly used 12 ingredients in this dish just to make the day more memorable 

Cook time: 55-60 mins
Ingredients

• 3 cups Green peas
• 1 cup Chow chow ( diced)
• 1/2 Copra/dry coconut,grated
• 1tbsp Kashmiri chilly powder
• 3 Tomatoes
• 3 Onion
• 8-10 Garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup Coriander leaves
• 5 Cardamom pods
• 2tsp Garam masala powder
• 1tbsp Ghee/oil
• salt to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Pressure cook both peas and chow chow with little salt till 20-25 Mins or take 2 whistle.
2. Grind grated copra/dry coconut,cardamom,tomatoes,garlic and 1/2 of the coriander leaves to smooth paste
3. Fry onion till golden brown in ghee or oil ,drain and ground to paste.
4. In the same pan add onion paste, chilly powder and salt to taste ( do not add too much as we have already added while cooking the vegetable)stir for a minute on low flame.
5. Now add ground masla paste and stir till oil comes on top.
6. Add cooked peas and chow chow and boil again for 15-20 mins until the gravy becomes thick.
7. Garnish with remaining coriander leaves and serve hot with Jeera rice or roti

Chicken and corn Fajita pizza

 This Home made pizza is really easier than you think,if you get some readily available pizza base then it is really quick and gets ready within 10-15 mins with different topping of your choice.In this pizza  i have used  fajita as a topping and believe me its awesome and really very tasty .

Fajita is a Mexican dish ,easy and quick to make.Just seer the meat on a griddle along with onion and bell peppers and served with Tortillas.What i do is i prepare this topping and sauce and  refrigerate for a week, so whenever my kids feel like having some fresh pizza just open the fridge and take out some fajita ,add some fresh stir fried veggies and its ready in no time and its a delicious way to welcome your guest too.

Ingredients

• 4 medium sized pizza base
• 300 grams chicken breast ,boneless (cut into 1 inch strips)
• 2 Onions (chopped)
• 1 cup Sweet corn
• 2 Red and green capsicum
• 2tsp chilly powder
• 1/2tsp Pepper powder
• 2tsp Giger -garlic paste
• 2tsp Olive oil
• 1 cup Pizza sauce(spicy sauce refer this link for pizza sauce)
• 1 cup Mozzarella cheese,grated
• 10-12 Tinned black olives,(pitted and diced)

Cooking Directions

1. Heat oil in pan,add onions,stir on high heat till it changes to light pink colour.
2. Add chicken breast pieces and cook, stirring frequently until lightly browned.
3. Now add ginger garlic paste,chilly powder,pepper and salt and stir again for couple of minutes.
4. add sweet corn and bell peppers, cook an additional minute or so until vegetables are crisp-tender.
5. Now arrange pizza base on a flat board and spoon Pizza sauce/ spicy sauce and spread some chicken - corn mixture over that, and finally, top with olives and cheese.
6. Microwave,high for 2 minutes or until cheese melts.
7. Serve hot with oregano and chilly flakes

Chicken corn fajita pizza

Variation: Vegetarians can replace chicken with paneer /Cottage cheese strips

American sweet corn parata and chutney

Ingredients for Parata

• 3 cups Whole wheat flour
• 3 cups American sweet corn kernels
• 10 Garlic cloves
• 1 inch Ginger
• 4-5 Green chillies
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1tsp Garam masala powder
• 1/4 cup Coriander leaves
• Salt to taste

Ingredients for Corn chutney

• 1 cup American sweet corn kernels
• 4-5 pepper corns
• 1 heaped tbsp Grated coconut
• 1 inch Ginger
• 5-6 Garlic cloves
• 1 big Tomato ( not too ripe)
• 2tbsp Coriander leaves chopped
• 4 Green chillies
• 1 Lemon

Cooking Directions
Sweet corn parata

1. Grind all the ingredients except whole wheat flour to fine paste without adding much water.
2. Now add ground paste to wheat flour Mix in half a cup of water into this ,by using your fingers, loosely mix the flour & the water changing it into a crumbly mixture. You can add in the oil or ghee at this point .Keep adding splashes of water if needed. Press the heels of your hands firmly into the dough, pushing forward slightly, using the fingers to mix the dry Atta well into the wet bits.
3. Making use of your palms, fist & fingers keep on kneading the Atta with pushes punching & rolling it into a soft dough.
4. NOW, Dampen the top of the dough & cover it either with a clean damp cloth or with cling film and let it rest for 30 minutes.
5. After 30 minutes make big lemon sized balls and roll into thick paratas .
6. Heat griddle and fry paratas on both the sides using ghee or oil

Sweet corn chutney:

1. Heat 2tsp oil in a pan add pepper corns,ginger,garlic, green chillies,sweet corn and tomato and 1/2 tsp of salt,saute until tomatoes are mushy.Switch off the gas and ,Let the mixture cool down completely.
2. Now grind coconut and cooked corn-mixture to smooth paste with 1/2 cup of water and check for seasoning.
3. Mix in lemon juice and serve with rotis and paratas.

Rogan josh..A rich Kashmiri lamb Curry with Nuts

 

For years I have cooked this Kashmiri Rogan josh from my recipe book which i got from my aunty long back. Though it took a good hour and a half to make, it was worth it, because every bit was polished off with relish by whomever it was served to, family or friends. If there ever were leftovers, they did not lasted beyond the next meal. 

 

                 Rogan josh is a gravy dish with moist spices and lot of fat floating around the meat ."Rogan" means oil or fat which comes from the meat itself. Josh means intense heat that goes while cooking this dish. Kashmiri dishes are known for having aromatic and sometimes spicy flavors, and some dishes often contain liberal amounts of oil which contributes to a richer, fuller mouth feel and flavour. Brown cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, mace, hing/asafoetida and saffron are the most commonly used spices in the making of a wide variety of dishes throughout Kashmir. Cumin seeds,coriander powder chilli powder, turmeric and bay leaves are also very popular Garam masala (aromatic spices) is a very popular blend of spices used in many kashmiri dishes. 

 

The original recipe demanded fatty lamb meat but here i have used a leg of a lamb approximately 1 kg 100 grams very tender and less fatty meat,which produces the same and often better results with way less oil and much less effort. I have cooked it three times in the last month each time with different garnishing. First time i used almonds only as mentioned in the recipe and second time i have prepared this only with cashew nuts and the thirrd time i used both cashew and almonds for garnishing,but each time the favour and aroma was just the same.

Cook time: Depending on the tenderness of the lamb
Total time: 60 mins
Ingredients

• 2 Onion( peeled and sliced)
• 10 Green cardamoms ( lightly crushed)
• 5-6 Black cardamoms
• 15 Cloves
• 3 Bay leaves 
• 4 1 inch pieces of cinnamon sticks
• 1/4 tsp Hing /asafoetida
• 1/2 tsp Ginger powder or fresh root ginger 2 inch piece( ground to paste)
• 10 Garlic cloves (ground to paste)
• 1 kg lamb,cut into cubes
• 2 tsp Cumin powder
• 2 tbsp Kashmiri chilly powder
• 3 tsp Coriander powder
• 2 tsp saunf /fennel powder
• 10-12 Almonds chopped and blanched
• 3 tsp Poppy seeds ( soak in warm water and make paste)
• 2 cups Thick curd ( not very sour)
• 1/2 cup Ghee or oil

Cooking Directions

1. Fry onion in ghee or oil until lightly browned.
2. Stir fry cardamoms,cloves,bayleaf and cinnamon for a minute.
3. Add in ginger powder or fresh ginger paste,garlic paste stir and add meat.
4. Sprinkle on,one at a time,the dry ginger/saunt ( if you are using ginger paste then omit this powder) cumin,chilli,hing,coriander powder and fennel powder.Fry the mixture for about 2 minutes on high flame
5. Add curd and salt,mix it well ,cover and cook for 5-7 mins until dry and oil separates on low flame.
6. Add blanched almonds and poppy seed paste,stir fry for 2 mins and add about 1/2 litre or 3-4 cups,cover and cook for 30-40 mins gently simmering until meat is tender and the mixture is fairly dry.
7. Sprinkle with saffron.Cover again and cook for 5 more mins taking care not to burn the meat.Stir the mixture a few times to mix saffron.

Capsicum-Paneer Burji

Ingredients

• Capsicum 3 ( cut into small square pieces)
• 1cup Scrambled paneer/Cottage cheese
• 2 Onions (chopped)
• 2 Tomatoes
• 1/2 cup Green Peas(optional)
• 2tsp chilly powder
• 1tsp Garam masala powder
• 1inch Ginger ( finely chopped )
• 6-7 Garlic cloves( finely chopped )
• 2 Green chillies( finely chopped )
• 1/2tsp Cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp Kasoori methi(optional)
• 1/2tsp Turmeric powder/haldi
• 1tbsp Sunflower oil

Cooking Directions

1. Heat oil in a pan,add some jeera,let it splutter for a second,then add onion ,chopped garlic and ginger and green chilly and stir for a couple of mins or until onion turns to light golden colour.
2. Now its time to add our green peas (if you are using),stir for a while,then add tomatoes and saute for 2 mins.
3. Add in chilly powder,garam masala and turmeric/haldi and stir it well.Add salt to taste and a 1/2 cup of water to de-glaze the pan, cover it with a lid for 2 mins until peas are well cooked and the gravy thickens.
4. Now its time to add in our chopped capsicum, stir it well and again cover it, add little water if needed to help to cook the capsicum ( do not over cook the capsicum or else it will loose its crunchiness)
5. Lastly add in scrambled paneer and if you are using kasoori methi add at this stage and check for seasoning,if needed add more salt and cover it again for 2 mins on low flame,let the paneer soak the flavour of the masala. When the dish is almost dry switch off the flame .
6. Garnish with some scrambled paneer/cottage cheese or grated cheese and serve hot with roti or pulka