Paneer Masala (Maami's Corner)

INGREDIENTS:

Paneer: 250 g cubed

Capsicum:  100 g

Tomato: 3 pureed

Coriander seeds: 2 tsps

Red chilli: 5 to 7

Kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves: 1 tsp

Cashew nut paste: 2 tbsps

Green chilli: 2 chopped

Ginger: 2 tsps

Garlic: 10 pods ground

Ghee/clarified butter: 2 tbsps

Coriander leaves

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Grind coriander & red chilli together.

Heat ghee in a kadai, add garlic paste, capsicum & ground paste.

Cook till fragrant.

Add green chilli, ginger & cook further.

Now, add the tomato puree & sauté further.

Stir in cashew paste.

Sprinkle kasuri methi & add salt.

Last add the cubed paneer.

Garnish with coriander leaves & serve with rotis.

Oats Idli (Quick Fix)

The ability of this cereal to lower blood cholesterol is commendable. I have experienced this personally. Make it a regular breakfast item. I know, we think only of the porridge when we say Oats but there’s more.  I have given the oats puttu  recipe, now, the idlis! No compromise on taste, I promise.

INGREDIENTS:

Oats: 1 cup
Semolina/rava/sooji: 1/4cup

Fresh curd: 1/2cup

Fruit salt/Eno: 1/2tsp

Salt to taste

To temper:

Onion: 1 chopped fine

 Green chilli: 1 chopped fine

Curry leaves:  a few

Oil: 2 tsps

METHOD:

Mix curd with the oats, rava, salt & half a cup of water. Keep for a while to soak.

In the mean time, do the tempering. You can use urad dal or channa dal also , to give that extra bite.Pour enough water to get a dropping consistency. 

Stir in the fruit salt.

Grease idli moulds & pour a ladle full into each & steam for 10 to 15 minutes.

This takes a little longer to cook unlike the rice idlis.

Serve with any chutney/sambar.

Mattar -Aloo Kheema (Traditional Fare)

INGREDIENTS:

Minced beef: 500 g

Green peas: 100 g

Potato: 250 g cubed small

Onion: 2 chopped fine

Garlic: 1 tbsp chopped

Ginger: 1tsp chopped

Green chilli: 2 chopped

Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder: 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder: 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder: 1/2 tsp

Coconut   grating: 1 small cup

Coriander leaves: ½  cup

Salt to taste

Oil: 2tbsps

METHOD:

 Grind coconut & coriander leaves to a coarse paste. Keep aside.

Heat oil, fry onions, garlic, ginger, green chilli till fragrant. Add the spice powders. Fry well.

 Put in the minced beef. Cover & cook till meat is half done.

 Now, put peas & cubed potatoes. Stir well, add salt, cover & cook for 5 minutes more. Open lid, mix in ground coconut.

This is a dry dish. Serve with rice, or rotis .It can be also used as a filling for toasted sandwich or Katti rolls.

 

Mor Kolambu (Maami's Corner)

This is traditional Trichy (Tamil Nadu) style Mor Kolambu.

INGREDIENTS:

Ash gourd/kumbalanga: 100 g or colocasia/chembu/arbi

Green chilli: 6

Coconut: ½ cup

Turmeric powder: ½ tsp

Curd: ½ litre

Bengal gram: 1 tbsp

Coriander seed: 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

For tempering:

Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp

Red chilli: 2

Fenugreek: a pinch

Oil: 1 tbsp

METHOD:

Soak Bengal gram, coriander seeds. Grind with coconut & green chilli.

Cook the vegetable with turmeric & salt.

Add the ground masala. Let it boil for some time. Take it off the fire.

Pour in beaten curd. Mix well.

For tempering, heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, add red chilli, fenugreek & curry leaves.

Cool slightly before pouring into the Mor kolambu.

Madras Mutton Curry (Traditional Fare)

Madras mutton curry is very famous all over. This gravy is served with parathas, ghee rice or just plain white rice. Try this.

INGREDIENTS:

Mutton: 500 g

Shallots: 100 g

Curry leaves

Coriander leaves

Oil: 1 tbsp

salt to taste

MASALA- 1

Red chilli powder: 1 tbsp or 6 whole chillies

Coriander powder: 1 tbsp

Black pepper powder: 1 tsp

Cumin seeds: 1 tsp

Dry roast all ingredients in 1 & powder.

MASALA  2

 Coconut: 1 cup

Fennel/aniseed: 1 tsp

Poppy seeds/khus khus: 1 tsp

Dry roast fennel & poppy seeds & grind with coconut.

FOR TEMPERING:

Garlic: 1 tsp

Cinnamon: 1” piece

Cloves: 4

Cardamom: 2

Coarsely crush all ingredients for tempering & keep aside.

METHOD:

In a pressure cooker, add mutton, shallots, salt & masala 1. Cook for 10 minutes.

When done add masala 2 & water, according to gravy required.

In another pan, heat oil, add crushed ingredients & curry leaves. Fry till fragrant.

Pour into the mutton curry. Sprinkle coriander leaves. Adjust salt.

Serve with plain white rice or rotis.

The famous Madras Mutton Curry is ready!

"Meen Pollichathu"-1 (Traditional Fare)

Traditional “Meen Pollichathu” is nothing like the present day preparation, where the fish is fried and then coated with masala & wrapped in banana leaf.

This recipe is from Kollam & let me tell you, I  have  tasted this yummy pollichathu only there. And another point to note here is, the use of the leaves of the tree lettuce to wrap the fish. Every home would have one growing in their back yard or along the fence. These eaves are edible. Of course, you can use banana leaves instead. 

INGREDIENTS:

Fish: 4 (mackerels, pomfret or sardines can be used)

Red chilli powder: 2 tsps

Ginger: 1” piece

Shallots: 6

Curry leaves: a few

Tamarind: a small ball

Black pepper: 1 tsp

Jeera/cumin: 1/2tsp

Fenugreek/methi: 1/4tsp

Salt to taste

Oil: 1 tsp

Tree lettuce leaves 

METHOD:

Grind all except fish, oil & tree lettuce leaves.

Make slits on both sides of fish, apply masala & keep aside for half an hour.

Rub a little oil on the leaf & place a fish on it. Cover with another one & cook on hot girdle /tava.

Sprinkle a little water, cover & cook for 10 minutes. Turn over & cook the other side too.

Brown both sides well.

Serve with the leaf, it is edible too.          

Kadala curry- a variation (Maami's Corner)

In Kerala, Kadala curry is made using roasted coconut masala, which generally takes a long time to prepare. This one is different, using fresh coconut & is simple to make. No compromise on taste.!

INGREDIENTS:

Bengal gram/chick peas: 1 cup, soak overnight

Coconut: 2 tbsps

Cashew nuts: 6

Onions: 1 chopped

Tomato: 1 choped

Garlic: 2 tsps crushed

Green chilli: 2 slit

Fennel: 2 tsps

Red chilli powder: 1 tsp

Coriander: 1 tsp

Turmeric powder: 1/4tsp

Garam masala powder: 1/2tsp

Curry leaves: a few

Oil: 2 tsps

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Pressure cook soaked gram till really soft, adding 2 cups water.

Grind the coconut, cashew nuts, 1 tsp fennel & a few curry leaves together. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add the remaining fennel, then add the onion, green chilli & curry leaves.

Sauté well. Add chilli powder, coriander, turmeric & garam masala.

 Now, add chopped tomatoes & sauté till soft.

Put in cooked gram & ground paste.

Stir well & simmer on low flame till thick.

Serve with “Puttu”,” Appam” or “Rotis”.

Grilled Prawns (Party Menu)

INGREDIENTS:

Prawns: 500 g

Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp

Red chilli powder: 1 tsp

Lime juice: 2 tbsps

Turmeric powder: 1/2tsp

Pepper powder: 1 tsp

Oil: 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Bamboo skewers: as required

METHOD:

Soak the bamboo skewers in water for 2 hours.

Shell the prawns leaving the head & tail intact.

Devein & wash well.

Mix all the ingredients except oil & marinate prawns with this for one hour.

Poke on bamboo skewers & cook on a grill or non-stick pan.

Turn occasionally till cooked,

Serve with salad & sauce.

Mackerels with pepper/Pacha kurumulaku (Traditional Fare)

A very different fish preparation using green pepper, if not in season, use the dried black ones.

INGREDIENTS:

Mackerels: 5 cut into 2

Pepper, black or green: 2 tbsps

Coriander seeds: 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder: 1/2tsp

Shallots: 10

Ginger: 1”piece

Curry leaves: a few

Vinegar: 3 tbsps or kokum/kodampuli: 2 pieces

Oil: 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Grind pepper, coriander, turmeric, shallots, ginger & a few curry leaves to a fine paste.

Heat oil in a clay pot, add the ground masala, fry it well till the raw smell goes.

Pour one cup of water, the vinegar, salt & curry leaves.

When the gravy boil, add fish & cook on low flame till oil clears on top.

This can be served with cooked tapioca/cassava or rice.

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Oats Puttu (Quick Fix)

Everyone's talking about the benefits of including this cereal in our daily diet, hence this simple recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

Oats: 1 cup

Coconut: ½ cup

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Dry roast oats till it starts to change colour.

Cool & powder coarsely.

Sprinkle salted water & mix the oats flour till it resembles crumbs.

Stem in a puttu maker.

Serve for breakfast with banana or any curry.

Egg Roast (Quick Fix)

In Kerala, egg roast or egg masala is served with Appams, Idiappams or plain rice. This is a simple, easy to prepare recipe which can accompany any main course item.

INGREDIENTS:

Eggs: 6 hard boiled

Onions: 6 sliced fine

Capsicum: 1 sliced fine

Tomato: 3 chopped fine

Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tsps

Red chilli powder: 1 tsp

Turmeric powder: 1/2tsp

Garam masala powder: 1/2tsp

Coconut milk: 2 tbsps thick (optional)

Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp

Curry leaves a few

Oil: 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

METHOD:

Heat oil in a non stick pan, add sliced onions & sauté till light golden brown.

Now, add ginger-garlic paste, sauté further. Add salt.

 Put in the sliced tomatoes, capsicum & the spice powders.

Fry till oil clears up.  

Pour the coconut milk (if using) or 2 tbsps water.

Score the eggs all around & put into the masala.

Also add coriander & curry leaves.

 Now its ready to serve!

Peanut Ladoos ( Quick Fix)

Peanuts are a good source of protein, hence try this for your kids. And when its home made, they will appreciate it even more! 

INGREDIENTS:

Palm sugar/jaggery: 1 cup

Peanuts: 2 cups roasted & crushed

Cardamom: 1/2tsp

Ghee: 2 tsps

METHOD:

Melt the palm sugar/jaggery with 2 tbsps water, cool & strain to remove any grit.

Reheat the syrup, till it reaches a string consistency.

Add the nuts, cardamom powder & one teaspoon ghee.

Mix well, take off fire, cool a little & roll into small balls. Grease your palm with a little ghee for easy handling.

Use almonds, cashew nuts, coconut or a mixture of different nuts to make yummy ladoos.

Special Veg Pulao (Maami's Corner)

A quick method to make a tasty treat!

INGREDIENTS:

Basmati rice or any other aromatic rice: 2 cups.

Mixed vegetables: 2 cups (carrot, peas, cauliflower, broccoli, corn etc)

Paneer/cottage cheese: 100 g fried

Whole spices: a few (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf)

Onions: 4

Curd: 1/2cup

Fresh cream: 1/2cup or milk

Garam masala: 1 tsp

Tomato puree: 1/2cup

Saffron: a few strands soaked in milk

Ghee: 1/2cup

Salt to taste

To make the masala paste:

Green chilli: 4

Garlic: 6

Ginger: a small piece

Coriander leaves: 1/2cup

Mint/pudina: 1/2cup

METHOD:

Grind the ingredients listed above in the masala paste.

In a pressure cooker, heat 2 tbsps ghee, add whole spices & rice (washed & drained).

 Fry till ghee coats each grain of rice. Add salt. Pour 1 cup water & cook for one whistle.

Open cooker immediately. (we need partially cooked rice)

In another pan, heat remaining ghee, add onions, fry brown. Remove some for garnish.

And add the ground paste.

Now add tomato puree, garam masala powder & vegatables.

Fry for 5 minutes & pour in the curd & cream. Mix well, add paneer & salt.

Layer the rice over this Korma. Cover with lid or foil.

Cook on low fire or bake it for 25 minutes.

Top with fried onions & serve with raita/salad.