Coconut Burfi

Wish you all a Happy New Year 2010

Ingredients:
1.Coconut - 1
2.Sugar - 4 to 5 Tbsp
3.Elachi powder - 3/4 tsp
4.Ghee - 3 Tbsp
5.Cashew - 6 nos ( fried and broken)

Method:
Grate the Coconut.
Heat a heavy bottomed vessel and fry the coconut till the moisture vanishes.
remove the coconut from the flame and transfer it to another vessel.
Heat the Sugar immersed in water on the vessel and keep stirring until it reaches the syrup consistency.
now add the coconut to it and mix well and stir frequently, add ghee and elachi powder, cashews and check if the mixture has reached a little tighter state.
Grease a plate with ghee and spread it on the plate and cut them in to square shaped pieces.
separate the pieces after it is cooled and store them on an airtight container.

Meen Kulambu / Fish Curry

Ingredients
1.Fish - 1/2 Kg(Preferrably Vanjiram - King Fish)
2.Small Onion - 15 to 20 nos
3.Tomato - 2
4.Tamarind - 1 marble sized
5.Coconut - 4 pieces
6.Green Chilli - 2
7.Saunf - 1/4 tsp
8.Fenugreek - 1/4 tsp
9.Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
10.Kulambu milagai podi - 2tbsp
11.Chilli powder - 1 tsp
12.Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
13.Refined oil - 3 tsp
14.Gingelly oil - 2tsp.
15.Salt as required.
16.Curry leaves - 1 spring.

Precooking steps:
1.Grind together 5 to 6 small onions with the coconut in to fine paste.
2.Cut the remaining onions to long finley sliced pieces.
3.Clean the fish with rock salt and water neatly.
4.finely chop the tomatoes too.
5.Extract the tamarind juice.

Method:
Heat refined oil, add mustard seeds, fenugreek, saunf once it splutters, add green chilli and curry leaves.
then the onion and cook until it becomes transparent and soft, now add the tomatoes and salt as required and cook till it becomes a well blended mixture, then add the kulambu milagai thool, red chilli powder and coriander
powder and the tamarind juice and coconut paste and sufficient water and bring it to boil.
While it is boiling add the gingelly oil, when the gravy becomes thick, add the cleaned fish pieces and cook it covered for few mins.
fish gets cooked very soon. Now it is ready to serve with rice.

Achovies Dry Fish fry

Nethili Karuvaadu Fry

It is one among amma's special.my mom never used to eat dry fish, but i keep wondering how can someone be so damn good at cooking it.Cleaning it is a big process in fact. It needs be soaked in warm water for atleast 30 mins, after which you can peel the fish and clear out the  bones and wash with water again so that it loses the odour and becomes neat.

Ingredients
1.Nethili Karuvaadu(Dry fish) - 100 gms
2. Small onion - 15 nos
3. tomato - 2
4.Tamarind - 1 marble sized
5.Green Chilli - 2
6.Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
7.Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
8.Kulambu powder - 2 tsp(this can be substituted with more of chilli powder and coriander powder.
9.Oil - 3 Tsp
10.Gingelly oil - 2 tsp.
11.Salt.
12.Curry leaves.
13.Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.

Precooking steps:
Clean the dry fish and keep aside.
cut the small onion length wise and finely chop the tomatos, split the green chilli in to halves.
Extract the tamarind juice.

Method:
Heat oil in a Kadaai, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chillies.
Add onions, saute well until it gets transparent and add tomatoes. it should be finely cooked.
add chilli powder, salt, coriander powder and kulambu powder and mix well.
add water and tamarind extract and bring this mixture to boil.
once it thickens, add the cleaned dry fish pieces and cook covered for a while.
Then add the gingelly oil and mix, wait until the oil separates.
Now it is ready to serve with rice.

Hyderabadi Chicken - Dry

There used to be a hotel called The Indus at Jayanagar 4th Block in Bangalore.
Me and my sister suhi used to treat ourselves there whenever we get a chance.
I have ordered this Hyderabadi Chicken dry with all smiles many times.
When i started hunting for new kind of recipes, i suddenly thought about this and Guessed the ingredients and it came out the way it should be, except for the Commercial Colour and Liberal Oily nature of the food in restaurants...
Here we go...
Hyderabadi Chicken Dry

Ingredients

Chicken - 250 gms
Curd - 2tbsp
Curry masala powder - 1 1/2tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Food color - Red - 2 pinch
Salt - as required.
Lemon - 1
Oil - 3 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 spring

For Masala:
Red Chilli - 5
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds - 3/4 tbsp.

Precooking steps:
Marianade chicken with curd, ginger garlic paste, food color, Lemon and curry masala powder and leave it aside for nearly half an hour.
On a kadaai, heat few drops of oil, fry the ingredients for masala on a medium flame and dry grind it on the mixer till it becomes a coarse powder.

Method:
On a Pan heat oil and add the marianated chicken and stri fry.. sprinkle water if needed.
Once it becomes soft add the curry leaves and fry for a while til the aroma gets blended.
Now add the Masala powder and stri fry, it should get coated on the Chicken
add a little more oil if it is expected to be a bit crispy.
It is an excellent side dish for Ghee rice or Chicken Biriyani or Rice with Chicken/Mutton curry.

Veg Pasta and Chicken Pepper Bits

I have coined the name for Chicken Pepper Bits, for it goes good with the Veg Pasta.

Chicken Pepper Bits:

Ingredients

1.Chicken Boneless pieces - 1 cup(made in to small bits)
2.Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
3.Crushed Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp
4.Salt - as required.
5.Oil - 2 tsp

Method:
1.Make small bits of the boneless chicken.
2.Marianade with salt, garlic paste and pepper powder.
3.Heat a pan, add oil and add this chicken and fry till it becomes soft and well cooked.

Veg Pasta

Ingredients:
1.Pasta - 100 gms
2.Big Onion - 1
3.Tomato - 2 (cut in to cubes)
4.Garlic - 8 to 10 (chopped in to fine pieces)
5.Capsicum - 1
6.Oregano seasoning - 2tsp.
7.Butter - 1 tbsp.
8.Olive oil - 1 tbsp
9.Cheese spread - 1 tbsp
10.Green chillies - 4
11.Coriander leaves - 1 spring

Precooking steps:
1.Boil water in a vessel and add pasta when the water boils also add 2 tsps of oil.
Once it is neatly cooked drain half of the water and keep aside. make sure that the pasta doesnt gets sticky.
2.Chop garlic finely and slice the green chillies to small circles..
3.Cut the Capsicum, Tomato and onion to cubes.
Method:
Heat a pan, melt butter and add olive oil along with it, Now add the garlic and green chilli, after few seconds, add the onion tomato and capsicum, saute for few mins.
add salt and add coriander leaves.
Now add the cooked pasta with the water.
mix well, add the oregano seasoning and the cheese spread or grated cheese. Stir till it reaches a cream coated consistency.
serve hot with chicken pepper bits.

Green Beans Curry

Pachai Mochai/Avarai kulambu

Avarai kaai or pachai mochai is a seasonal vegetable, people are really crazy about it and keep buying it very frequently during the season. In karnataka they add it in Akki Roti or Uppit(Upma).
But i always relished this kulambu the better.

Ingredients
1.Pachai mochai/Green Beans - 250gms
2.Small Onions - 10 nos
3.Tomato - 1
4.Chilli powder - 1 tsp
5.Coriander powder - 2 tsp
6.Jeera - 1 Tsp
7.Coconut - 4 to 5 pieces
8.Curry leaves - 1 spring
9.Oil - 3 tsp.

Precooking steps:
1.Grind Coconut, jeera, chilli powder and coriander powder to a coarse paste initially
2.On the same mixer add onions and Tomato and make a very smooth paste.
3.Peel the avarai and wash it and cook in pressure cooker for 2 whistles with little salt.
Method:
On a vessel add the beans,then the masala paste and sufficient water salt and put it on the stove.
once the curry comes to boil, add the 3 tsps of oil and then curry leaves and let it boil for a while until it reaches a good curry consistency.
It goes well with rice.

Chicken Biriyani

Chicken Biriyani

Ingredients
1.Chicken - 300 gms
2.Basmathi rice - 300gms (on an average 1 and a half cups)
3.green chilli - 6.
4.Pudhina - 1 bunch
5.coriander leaves - 1/2 bunch
6.curd - 3 tbsp(set curd/yogurt)
7.red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
8.Curry masala powder - 2 tsp.
9.Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.
10.coconut - 4 pieces.
11.oil - 5 tsp
12.Ghee - 3 tsp
13.small onion - 15 nos or big onion - 2
14.tomato - 1
15.Ginger garlic paste - 3 tbsp.
16.Salt as required.
17.Water - 2 1/4 cups(1 cup of basmathi rice needs 1 1/2 cups of water)


Pre cooking steps:
1.marianade the chicken pieces with curd for 30 mins.
2.chop the onions and cut the tomato to just in to 4 pieces.
3.clean and chop the pudhina and coriander leaves
4.make a smooth paste of coconut, half of the cleaned pudhina and coriander leaves.
5.split the green chilli length wise.
6.Soak the basmathi rice for 30 mins.
7.Wash the basmathi rice once with water(do not over wash it)

Method:
Heat oil and ghee on a Pressure Cooker, add green chilli and pudhina coriander then followed by onion and tomatoes.
saute well until the onion turns transparent and tomatoes are partly cooked.
Then add the marianated chicken and stir fry adding salt.now add ginger garlic paste, curry masala powder,red chilli powder,turmeric powder and mix.
once the chicken is partly cooked and it gives out fat, add the paste prepared using coconut,pudhina and coriander leaves and mix well..
a good aroma of pudhina and spices will arise.
Now add 2 1/4 cups of water to it and wait until it comes to boil.
add the washed rice and stir once.
put the weight and wait until u get one whistle.
keep it on sim flame for 5 to 7 mins and turn off the stove.
serve it with onion or cucumber raitha.

Liver - Pepper Fry

Eeral milagu varuval
As far as i have heard, Goat's Liver is a good source of Iron.
This recipe is so simple with minimal ingredients.

Ingredients:
Liver - 100 Gms
Pepper - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp or even less
Oil - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 spring

Method:
Cut the liver to bite sized pieces clean and keep aside.
heat oil on a pan, add the curry leaves and then the Liver pieces.
stir for a minute till it becomes pale.then add the pepper powder and fry for 3 to 4 mins. add a little salt and check for the taste..
wait until the salt and pepper gets blended on the liver and it should become soft.
Now it is ready to taste.

Japanese Quail - Chettinad Fry

Kaadai Chettinaad Pepper Fry
I have had Kaadai in restaurants like Anjappar, Karaikudi from time to time.
Though the Bird Japanese quail is not very fleshy.. it has its own significance and turns to be tasty when cooked in the exact authentic way of chettinaad delicacies.
I had guessed the ingredients on my own and i believe that i was cent percent sucessful too.. haa haa....
It does not need strong garam masala.

Ingredients
1.Kaadai - 1
2.Garlic - 5 pods
3.Ginger - 1/2 inch
4.Jeera - 1 tsp
5.Saunf - 1 tsp
6.khus khus - 1 tsp
7. Red Chilli - 4
8. Pepper - 1 tsp
9.Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
10.Salt to taste
11.Oil - 3 tsp
12.Curry leaves - 1 Spring.
13.Small Onion - 10 nos(lengthwise thin sliced)
14.Lemon - 1/2 rind.


Pre Cooking steps:
1.Wash and clean the kaadai and cut it in to four parts such that, legs and breast are separated.
2.On a pan, pour 1/2 tsp of oil and fry the ingredients from 2 to 9 on a medium flame and make a smooth paste.
3.Finely slice the onions and keep aside.


Method:
Heat oil on a Vessel and add curry leaves followed by the onions. saute until the onions turn transparent.
then add the cleaned kaadai. and stir.
now add the masala made in to a smooth paste, add salt and stir occasionally.
cook it covered after sprinkling a little water on a medium flame.
once the kaadai gets cooked the oil would separate and consistency of the masala would thicken.
make sure that the masala gets coated completely. serve as a side dish for rice.
Its such an yumm...

Red Chilli Chicken

Red chilli chicken:




Ingredients
Chicken - 1/2 kg
Masala
1.Red Chilli - 6 to 8.
2.Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 1/2 tbsp.
3.cinnamon - 1 inch stick
4.avinaasi poo/star aniseed - 1
Onion - 1
Green chilli - 2
curry leaves - 1 spring
oil - 3tsp
Lemon - 1/2 rind.
Salt to taste



Pre cooking Preparation

1.Wash and cut the chicken in to bite sized pieces.
2.chop the onion in to fine pieces.
3.Split the green chilli.
4.Grind the ingredients for masala in to a smooth paste.
Method:
Heat oil in a pressure cooker/Pressure pan/ kadaai.
add the green chilli and followed by the onion, saute well. then add the cleaned chicken and stir. Now pour the contents of the masala made prior in to the pressure cooker, add a little salt and saute well till the raw smell goes off and add salt.
now sprinkle a little water such that the chicken is partly immersed.cover it with lid and put in pressure for one whistle and keep in sim for 5 mins.
turn off the stove.
open the pressure cooker put it back on flame and add a spring of curry leaves and lemon juice and stir it occasionally, let the consistency become thick and the masala should coat over the chicken.
with the aroma of red chilli, spice and curry leaves added, it would taste great
best combination for dal rice and rasam.
my mom who is a best critic of my cooking had seriously enjoyed eating it and kept appreciating it. she herself who is an awesome cook, one fine sunday had asked me to tell how this recipe goes.

Rice Crisps Balls

Karthigai Pori

Ingredients:
1.Rice crisps (Pori) - 1 cup
2.Jaggery - 5 tbsps
3.Elachi powder - 1/2 tsp.
4.Water - 1/4 cup

Method:
On a vesssel immerse the jaggery in water and heat it for few mins.
Once the jaggery starts melting, keep stirring occasionally and add elachi powder. As it reaches a fair consistency, less watery and it should not be too thick. Add the content to the Rice crisps and mix well with a spoon. before it gets cold. make medium sized balls with it.
Serve as you like.

Green chilli Chicken

Pachai milagai kozli:

Ingredients
Chicken - 1/2 kg(cut,deskinned and cleaned).
Lemon - 1/2 rind
Curry leaves
salt
oil - 2 tsp.
Masala:
onion - 1
curry masala powder - 1 tsp.
ginger garlic paste - 1 1/2 tbsp.
green chilli -6
coriander powder - 1 tsp.
Salt to taste

Pre Cooking Steps:
Grind all the ingredients for masala in to a smooth paste.
cook the chicken on microwave for 4 mins.
(Place chicken in a bowl add a little water, add 2 pinches of table salt and turmeric powder, cover and cook.)
Method:
Heat oil in a pan(preferrably non stick)
add curry leaves and then the masala that was prepared.
let the raw smell go off.. then add the cooked chicken and keep stir frying.add salt if needed.
the masala should get coated over the chicken.
now add the lemon juice and mix then wait until the chicken gets roasted on the pan with the oil given out.
its such an yummy chicken. preparation time is less than 15 mins.

It can also be done by directly adding the chicken to the pan, without cooking on the microwave.
just that, i was able to prepare in very less time, i have mentioned it.