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Friday 30 March 2012

Mutton Pepper Fry (Traditional Fare)


If you ask me, what goes well with this mutton dish, I'd say a tomato rasam, cabbage thoran & white rice.I know your mouth is watering, then, what is stopping you from making this! 

INGREDIENTS:
Mutton: 500 g
Onions: 3 sliced
Shallots: 100 g crushed
Garlic: 10 pods crushed
Ginger: 1” piece sliced
Green chilli: 2 slit
Whole black pepper: 1 tbsp
Coriander seeds: 2 tbsps
Garam masala powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
Curry leaves: a few
Coconut oil: 3 tbsps
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Dry roast/broil pepper & coriander in a pan, powder & keep aside.
 Heat oil, fry the sliced onions brown & remove on to a plate.
In the remaining oil, add crushed shallots & garlic. Sauté it well.
 Now, add the powdered pepper – coriander, turmeric powder, slit green chillies & ginger.
Put in washed & drained mutton & stir till they change colour.
Pour 2 cups of hot water, cover & cook till done, stirring occasionally.
Now, add salt, curry leaves & garam masala powder.
Fry till the mutton is well coated with the masala.
Last, add the fried onions. Stir well.
A dry meat dish that can be served with any rice/wheat preparations.    

Monday 26 March 2012

Fish Curry Trivandrum Style (Traditional Fare)


 Fish curry from Trivandrum, Kerala, is different from the rest of the state - very spicy & "coconutty".And the addition of drumstick, is a point to be noted! 

INGREDIENTS:
Fish: 250 g cut into small pieces
Drumstick: 2
Raw mango: 1 peeled & sliced
Grated coconut: 1 cup
Red chilli powder: 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
Ginger: 1 tsp sliced
Shallots: 10
Curry leaves: few
Green chilli: 2 slit
Coconut oil: 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Cut the drumstick into 2” pieces, wash well & cook with raw mango, sliced ginger, 1 tsp red chilli powder,  a little turmeric powder & salt in 1 cup water.
When half done, add pieces of fish, a few curry leaves & 2 shallots sliced.
In the meantime, grind coconut, remaining chilli powder, shallots & a few curry leaves to a fine paste.
 Pour the ground masala into the simmering fish & add water to make up gravy.
 Check seasoning & add the slit green chilli.
Pour a tablespoon of coconut oil into the curry & take off the fire.
 Serve with rice or tapioca.     
 

Sunday 18 March 2012

Punjabi kadhi/Kadhi Pakora (Maami's Corner)


 Just like the Kerala "Pulissery" or the Tamil Nadu "Mor Kolambhu", Punjab is famous for their "Kadhi", with or without the Pakoras.
kadhi pakoras
 

INGREDIENTS:
Curd: 1 cup
Gram flour/besan: 2 tbsps
Water: 2 cups
Turmeric powder: ½ tsps
Salt to taste

To season:
Oil: 2 tbsps
Muatard seed: 1 tsp
Cumin: ½ tsp
Dry red chilli: 3
Cloves: 3
Fenugreek: ¼ tsp

METHOD:

In a bowl, mix the curd, besan & water. Whisk to break all lumps.
Heat this mix in a sauce pan till it thickens.
Add salt to taste, take off fire & season with the ingredients under “to season”.
Pour into kadhi.
If using pakoras, place the fried pakoras in a bowl & pour kadhi over this & serve.
You can make plain pakoras for this. (using besan, onion & green chillies only).

Thursday 15 March 2012

Vegetable Upma (Maami's Corner)


 Once derisively dismissed as “Salt mango tree”, ( literal translation of a deliberate distortion of the name into “Uppu” and mavu”). This was much before Mr Floyd Cardoz brought this dish onto centre stage as his prize winning entry at the Top Chef Masters Season 3.

INGREDIENTS:
Semolina/rava/suji: 1 cup
Onions: 2 chopped
Green chilli: 2 chopped fine
Ginger: 1” piece chopped fine
Curry leaves: a few
Mixed vegetables: 1 cup (carrot, peas, corn, cauliflower etc)
Coriander leaves: 2 tbsps
Oil: 2 tbsps
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Bengal gram dhal: 1 tsp
Black gram dhal: 1 tsp
Dry red chilli: 2
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Heat ghee in a pan & roast the rava till light brown. Remove to a plate.
Heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, add bengal & black gram dhal.
Break red chilli into two & put into oil, also curry leaves, chopped onions, green chilli & ginger.
Add salt & sauté till brown.
Now, add vegetables. Stir till partially done.
Pour 3 cups of hot water, when it comes to a boil, lower flame, add more salt, if required & add the rava, stirring continuously till all the water is absorbed.
(Those who like their Upma dry can add less water, about 2 cups).
 Don’t add the rava all at once, it will become lumpy, add it in a continuous stream stirring all the time.
Last, add the coriander leaves & serve with coconut chutney.

Thursday 8 March 2012

Chemeen/Prawns Thenga Masala (Seafood)


This is a very simple & tasty prawn recipe anyone can try. 




INGREDIENTS:
Prawns: 250 g shelled & deveined
Fresh coconut: 2 tbsps
Dry coconut/copra: 2 tbsps
Whole garlic: 15 to 20
Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tsps
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp chopped
Curry leaves: a few
Tamarind paste: 1 tsp
Oil: 2 tbsps
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Grind coconut, fresh & dry, together. Keep aside.
Heat oil, fry whole garlic till it browns. Then add ginger-garlic paste.
Fry till fragrant & add red chilli powder, turmeric powder & ground coconut-copra.
Sauté well & put in the prawns, tamarind paste & salt. stir fry for a while & pour half a cup of water( 100 ml).
Cover & cook till gravy dries up.
Sprinkle coriander & curry leaves. Serve with rice or chapattis. 


Wednesday 7 March 2012

Curd Rice (Maami's Corner)


In Tamil Nadu, no meal is complete without the famous “curd rice”. In some places fresh fruits like grapes, pomegranate, apples, etc are added to the prepared curd rice. I prefer it without the fruits, here’s the recipe.


INGREDIENTS:
Raw rice: 1 cup
Curd: 1cup
Milk: ½ cup
Butter: 1 tbsp or fresh cream: 1 tbsp
Ginger: 2 tsps chopped fine
Green chilli: 2 chopped fine
Curry leaves: a few
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp
Dry red chilli: 4
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Oil: 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Pressure cook rice with 3 cups water for 2 whistles (rice must be really soft for this preparation).
When hot, stir in the butter & let the rice cool well.
Whisk the curd & milk together, add to the rice, also, add chopped ginger, green chilli, coriander leaves & salt.
Heat oil in a tadka pan, add mustard seeds, red chilli & curry leaves.
Cool it before pouring into curd rice.
This can be served immediately. If you intend to carry it as a packed lunch, add more milk & less curd, cos it will set with time. 
Serve with  pickle & papad

Sunday 4 March 2012

Paya (Traditional Fare)



I was told that in the days of our grand or great grandparents, during the rainy season, trotters & other mutton bones were cooked to make different kinds of soups & gravies. Mutton was preferred because of the medicinal value of goats & sheep.
That was probably the reason for their good health!
Here’s a simple recipe for mutton paya.





INGREDIENTS:
Trotters: 4 cleaned & cut into pieces
Shallots/onions: 100 g
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Green chilli: 2 chopped
Tomato: 1 chopped
Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
Fennel seeds: 1 tsp
Whole black pepper: 1 tsp
Cumin powder: ½ tsp
Coriander leaves: 2 tbsps
Coconut milk: ½ cup thin extract (optional)
Oil: 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Use a pressure cooker to prepare this because it takes about an hour to prepare.
Into a cooker, add oil & fennel & pepper, then, add shallots, ginger, garlic, green chillies.
Sauté well & add the powders.
Now, put in tomato & coriander leaves.
Pour 3 cups of water (600 ml).
Bring to boil & add the trotters.
Cover & pressure cook for 45 minutes on low flame, after the first whistle.
When done, add salt & coconut milk.
This is a thin gravy preparation that can be served as a soup too.