Chicken Ghee Roast

An exotic chicken dish from Mangalore.

Ingredients
1 kg chicken
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup yoghurt
1 tsp turmeric powder
8 whole red chillies
20 whole kashmiri chillies
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp peppercorns
12- 16 garlic flakes
tamarind soaked in 3 tbsp water(cherry size) and juice should be extracted
ghee as required
2 tsp sugar
few curry leaves
2 Tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Method

• Marinate the chicken with yoghurt, salt, turmeric powder and lemon juice. Allow this to marinate in the refrigerator for atleast 4 hours.
• Roast the whole chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns and fenugreek seeds until they darken slightly. Grind this along with the tamarind extract and garlic into a thick and fine paste. You can add little water to ease the grinding.
• In a pan heat ghee, approximately 3-4 Tbsp. Add the marinated chicken and cook till the chicken is almost cooked. Transfer the chicken along with the gravy(i.e. the water that oozes out from the chicken during the cooking)into another bowl.
• In the same pan heat some more ghee and add the grinded masala paste to it. Fry the paste in the ghee until the raw smell of the masala goes and oil starts to leave from the masala.
• Add the cooked chicken along with the gravy into the fried masala. Check and adjust salt as required.Roast the chicken in the masala well until the masala dries up and the chicken is roasted well.
• Add sugar and mix well. Add curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Parippu Vada

Ingredients
200 gm parippu/toor dal (You can use chana dal too)
4 green chillies
1 small piece ginger
few curry leaves
20 small onion/shallots
Oil for deep frying

Method

• Soak the dal for one hour in water. Then drain the water and coarsely grind the dal along with the ginger, curry leaves, green chillies and half of the shallots.Do not add water while grinding.
• Slice the remaining shallots very finely and add it to the grinded dal mixture. Add enough salt too and mix well.
• Take little amount of the grinded mixture in your hands and shape into flat vadas.
• Deep fry the vadas in hot oil until brown and crispy on both sides. Drain onto a paper napkin to absorb excess oil.
• Serve hot parippu vadas with tea. Enjoy:))

Tandoori Roti

Don't have a tandoor? Make it on a tawa or rack:) Here's how you can do it...

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup plain flour

1/4 cup yoghurt

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

1  1/2 tablespoon olive oil

A pinch of baking soda

Water to bind and knead

Salt as required

 Method

• Add all the ingredients except water in a bowl
• Add water gradually and knead to a soft dough.
• Divide the dough into equal sized balls .
• Let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes
• On a rolling board,flatten a dough ball and dust some wheat flour on top of that.
•  Roll into medium sized chapati or roti (don't roll very thin).
• Take a fire proof wire rack and place it on a low to medium flame.
• Place the roti on the rack,when bubbles appear on top,flip the roti,you will notice few brown black spots on the roti.

• Flip again and you can see the second side getting cooked.
• Repeat the flip until the roti gets cooked on both the sides.
• Transfer the roti to a basket and spread some butter or ghee on top of the roti.
• Serve hot with curry of your choice.

Amma's Mutton Curry

My mom's signature mutton curry. No other mutton curry can be relished by us more than this! Truly lipsmacking!

Ingredients
1 kg mutton, cleaned and cut to small pieces
1/2 kg onion, sliced thin
2 tsp ginger paste
2 1/2 tsp garlic paste
3-4 garlic cloves
5 green chillies , grinded to a paste
1/2 kg shallots sliced
2 big tomatoes, chopped
3 Tbsp coconut oil
3 Tbsp sesame oil
3/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp mutton masala(eastern brand)
2 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder

salt as required
few curry leaves
2 tsp chopped coriander leaves

Method

• Pressure cook the mutton along with sliced shallots, 1 tsp ginger paste, garlic cloves, salt and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder until the cooker gives off two whistles(if the mutton is tender, one whistle will do). Allow the cooker to cool and the steam go off by itself.
• Heat a pan, add the coconut oil and sesame oil. Add ginger paste, garlic paste and green chilli paste. Saute well until the raw smell goes off.
• Add the sliced onions and saute until onions turns golden brown.
• Reduce the flame and add turmeric powder, coriander powder, mutton masala powder and salt(Remember to adjust salt accordingly as we have already added salt to the mutton). Stir fry until oil starts to layer on the top.
• Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are fully mashed up and oil starts to be seen on the masala. This will take some time, more the tomatoes get cooked, more tasty the curry turns out to be.
• Add the cooked mutton along with the stock to this and cook until the the gravy becomes dry. Let it cook on a low flame for about 25 minutes(keep stirring in between), until the mutton curry becomes dark in colour.
• Finally add the curry leaves, chopped coriander leaves and garam masala powder. Mix well and serve.

Paneer Hyderabadi

Ingredients
200 gm paneer, cubed
1 big onion chopped
5-6 curry leaves
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp ghee
2 tbsp fresh cream
salt
oil

For Hyderabadi masala

1/2 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
2 tbsp peanuts
1/4 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp poppy seeds
5-6 cashewnuts(soaked in water)
2 cloves
1 inch piece ginger
6 garlic cloves
2 whole dried red chillies

Method

• Heat a pan and add oil.Fry the paneer cubes, few at a time and drain onto a paper napkin.
• Heat little ghee in a saucepan. Add all the ingredients under hyderabadi masala and fry for some time. Once cooled grind into a smooth paste and keep aside.
• In another pan heat heat remaining ghee. Add curry leaves and onion. Add salt and fry till onion turns golden in colour.
• Add the grounded masala and all the remaining spice powders.
• Add the milk, stir and allow this to boil for about 5 minutes on low heat.
• Now add the fried paneer and lemon juice. Mix well.
• Add fresh cream, mix well and cook for two minutes more and remove from heat. Serve hot with roti, chappathi, nan etc.

Pazha Pradhaman

How about some pazha pradhaman for this Onam?

Ingredients
1kg very ripe banana(nenthra pazham)
500gm jaggery(heat the jaggery in 1 cup water until melted, Sieve and keep aside)
4-5 cups light coconut milk(dissolve 3tbsp coconut milk powder in 4-5 cups of water)
1 1/2 cup thick coconut milk(dissolve 3-4 tbsp coconut milk powder in 1 1/2 cup water)
5 Tbsp ghee
2 tsp coconut pieces(cut into small squares)

Method

• Cut the bananas into 3-4 pieces and steam them in a steamer until cooked well.
• Once cooled,remove the skin of the bananas and deseed the  bananas(split open each piece of banana and remove the black seed layer).
• Mash the bananas well in a blender into a paste.
• Heat 4 Tbsp ghee in a pan and saute the banana paste in the ghee for some time, approximately 5-6 minutes.
• Now add the melted jaggery and allow it boil and thicken.
• Then add the light coconut milk and let it cook in the coconut milk for about 7-8 minutes, or until a thick consistency is attained.
• Now pour the thick coconut milk and mix well. Cook for a couple of minutes and then switch off the flame.
• Heat 1 Tbsp ghee in a pan. Fry the coconut pieces in the ghee until golden brown and pour it over the prepared banana pradhaman. Delicious pazha pradhaman is ready to be served.

* You can pressure cook the bananas instead of cooking them in a steamer.
* Along with the coconut pieces some like to add fried cashewnuts and raisins too. You can add that too if you prefer to. As I do not prefer cashews and raisins in pradhaman I have not added here.

Goan Chicken Curry

Ingredients
Marinade
1 kg chicken, cut into small pieces(I used boneless)
1tsp salt
11/2 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2 Tbsp lemon juice

To be ground into a paste
4 red Kashmiri chillies
2 tsp cumin seeds
10 peppercorns
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
5 cloves
1 inch cinnamon

Other ingredients required
6 onions chopped fine
4 tomatoes chopped fine
4 green chillies, chopped fine
3 potatoes, small, peeled and cut into cubes
4 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp hing powder(asafoetida)
3 Tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Method

• Marinate the chicken pieces with the ingredients under marinade and keep aside.
• Grind the ingredients that are to be ground into a fine paste by adding little water if required and keep aside.
• Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a pan and saute one chopped onion well.
• Once the onion turns translucent add the marinated chicken to it and fry well until the chicken turns white in colour. Keep this aside.
• In another pan heat the remaining oil and saute the remaining onions.
• Once the onions start to turn golden add the chopped tomatoes and green chillies. Stir fry for a few minutes.
• Now add the ground paste and fry for one to two minutes.
• Add the chicken that was kept aside along with 2 cups of water,cubed potatoes and salt.
• Mix well and cover and cook on low heat until the chicken and potatoes are well cooked and gravy thickens.
• Finally add the asafoetida and chopped coriander leaves. Give a good mix and serve hot.

Recipe adapted from here

Spicy Boneless fried chicken

Ingredients

1 kg boneless chicken- cubed

2 or 3 slit green chillies

few curry leaves

1 tbsp finely minced ginger

1 tbsp finely minced garlic

1 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 onion cut into large cubes

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

 coconut oil as required

1- 2 tbsp lemon juice

For the marinade

1 tbsp kashmiri chilly powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp chaat masala

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp corn flour

salt to taste

Method

• Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients under marinade and marinate for atleast 2 hours in the refrigerator.
• Heat oil and shallow fry the marinated chicken in batches until reddish brown in colour and keep aside.
• Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil and throw in the minced ginger, garlic,green chillies and curry leaves  Saute for a minute and then toss in the fried chicken and mix well.
• Add the tomato ketchup, onion and pepper powder and mix well. 
• Remove from the heat and sprinkle the lemon juice, mix well and serve.

Idli Upma

Have some left over idlis? Then here's how you can turn them into another quick breakfast dish.

Ingredients

4-5 idlis

3-5 shallots sliced thin

1 green chilli chopped

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp urid dal

few curry leaves

1 tsp chopped coriander leaves

2 Tbsp oil

salt to taste

Method

• Chop or crumble the idlis into small pieces and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds
• Once they begin to crackle add the urid dal and curry leaves.
• Mix well and add the sliced shallots, green chilli and salt(add less salt as the idlis already have salt in them).
• Fry until the shallots turn golden brown. 
• Now tip in the chopped idilis to the fried onions and mix well.
• Fry for 2-3 minutes until the idli pieces are well coated with the onion mixture.
• Garnish with some finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Mangalorean Fried Squid

Ingredients
1/4 kg squid,cleaned,cut into rings
1 medium onion,finely sliced
2 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon vinegar
Salt to taste
3-4 sprigs curry leaves
Coconut oil for frying

Method

• In a bowl,add  chilli powder,cumin powder,turmeric powder,vinegar and salt.Mix the ingredients with water and make a paste.
• Marinate the squid with the above masala and refrigerate for half an hour.
• Heat a pan with 3-4 tablespoon coconut oil.
• Sauté onion and curry leaves on medium flame and stir until the onion turns golden brown.
• Turn up  the heat to high and carefully add the squid.
• Stir on high flame for 1 - 2 minutes.
• Turn-off the flame when the squid  turns opaque or white.(over cooking will make the squid rubbery).
• Serve hot with rice.

Chembu Moru Curry

Ingredients
200 gms chembu/baby taro/arbi, peeled, washed and diced
1/4 cup grated coconut
2 cups yoghurt or buttermilk
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3-4 green chillies,slit
few curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
2-3 whole red chillies
1 Tbsp coconut oil
salt to taste


Method

• Cook the chembu with the turmeric powder, salt and green chillies.
•  Grind the coconut with cumin seeds into a fine paste.
• Add the yoghurt to the paste and blend again well.
• Pour this to the cooked chembu and mix well. Allow this to come to boil on a low flame.
• Switch off and keep aside.
• For the seasoning, heat the coconut oil in a small pan, add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard crackles, add the red chillies, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. Once the spluttering stops, pour this seasoning to the prepared chembu curry. Cover with a lid and keep this undisturbed for 5 minutes, so that the aroma lingers in the curry.
• Open and mix well. Serve with steamed rice and a spicy side dish. Enjoy:)

Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients

150 grams mini marshmallows

50 grams soft butter

250 grams good dark chocolate,chopped

60 ml hot water

280 ml whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

                          

Method

• Melt the marshmallows,butter,chocolate and hot water in a saucepan on medium flame.Stir in between.
• Once the mixture is melted completely, turn off the flame and keep  aside.
• Meanwhile,whip the whipping cream and vanilla extract until thick with the help of an electric beater.
• Fold the whipping cream into the cooling chocolate mixture until smooth.
• Pour into glasses or ramekins and refrigerate for few hours.

Recipe source:Nigella Lawson

Prawns tomato roast

Ingredients
500 gms prawns, cleaned and deveined
a handful of shallots, sliced
1 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 large tomato chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
lots of curry leaves
 3-4 Tbsp coconut oil
salt to taste

Method

• Marinate the prawns with turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt.
• In about 3 Tbsp of coconut oil saute the sliced shallots. Once it starts turning golden brown add the ginger-garlic paste and fry well until the raw smell is gone.
• Add the kashmiri chilli powder and fry for a minute more.
• Now add the tomatoes and mix well. Cover and cook for few minutes until the tomatoes turn mushy.
• Once the tomatoes are fully mashed and oil layer starts to show from the sides, tip in the prawns. Mix well.
• Add some curry leaves and let the prawns get cooked in the tomato gravy(don't add water, the prawns should get cooked in the juice of the tomatoes).
• Fry well until the prawns are cooked, dark in colour and coated with the tomato masala.
• Remove from heat and add some more curry leaves and drizzle 1 Tbsp of coconut oil on top and serve hot.

Mushroom Mappas

Ingredients
10-12 mushrooms(any kind can be used)
1 large onion, sliced thin
1 inch ginger piece, sliced into sticks
3-4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 green chillies, slit
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder(use less if you don't want it very spicy)
2 tsp coriander powder
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup thick coconut milk
curry leaves, few
salt
3 Tbsp coconut oil
2-3 shallots/cherulli, sliced
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp fennel/saunf/perumjeerakam powder

Method

• Slice the mushrooms and keep aside
• Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a wok. Add the sliced onion, garlic, ginger, green chillies and curry leaves. Saute until the onion turns light brown in colour.
• Reduce the flame and add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder. Mix well and fry for 2-3 minutes on a low flame.
• Add the sliced mushrooms, salt and mix well. Fry for 2 minutes and then add the water.
• Mix well, cover and cook on a medium flame until the mushrooms get cooked.
• Once the mushrooms are cooked, add the thick coconut milk and mix well. Heat for 2-3 minutes and then remove from heat.
• In a separate pan, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp oil. Add the mustard seeds. Once they start to splutter, add the sliced shallots and few curry leaves.
• Fry until the shallots turn golden brown. Add the fennel powder and fry for a second more(A beautiful aroma comes at this step). Pour this seasoning over the mushroom curry and cover immediately.
• Let it stand for 10 minutes before serving. Mix well and serve.

*Don't skip the addition of the fennel powder, as this ingredient gives a beautiful taste to the dish.

Strawberry Mousse

Ingredients
1 cup strawberries,chopped
8 tablespoon sugar
5 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon unflavoured gelatin
A pinch of salt
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream

 Method

•  In a bowl  add strawberries and 1 tablespoon sugar and toss gently.
• Process in a food processor until smooth.
• Pour 2 tablespoon water in a large bowl,sprinkle with gelatin and let it stand for 5 minutes.

• Place a saucepan on medium heat and add 6 tablespoon sugar,remaining water and salt .
• Stir well until sugar dissolves and bring to a  boil and cook for about 4 minutes and turn off the flame.
• Add egg whites to gelatin mixture and beat with a hand mixer on high speed until foamy.
• Gradually add 1 tablespoon sugar,beat at high speed until soft peaks form.
• Gradually pour hot sugar syrup into egg white mixture,beating first at medium speed and then at high speed until stiff peaks form.

• Add vanilla extract.
• In a separate bowl add cream and beat at high speed until stiff peaks form.
• Fold 1/4 of egg white mixture into whipped cream then fold the remaining.
• Fold in the strawberry mixture.
• Spoon the mousse into desert glasses and chill for 2 hours or until set.

Butter Cauliflower

All of us are familiar with Butter Chicken,a classic Indian dish, a dish that is being ordered since ages when you visit a restaurant. A dish that is relished by almost all in a family. Switching to a vegetarian note, the ordered dish is mostly Butter Paneer , otherwise known as Paneer Makhani. The dish mainly revolves around the basic makhani gravy and the main ingredient added can vary. The makhani sauce again has many versions. I have posted the recipe of Paneer Makhani earlier and that was made in a diffferent way. What basically calls for the makhani is a tomato based gravy which has the richness of cream/cashews and of course butter. Here I have added cauliflower to the makhani gravy and made another member of the Makhani family- Cauliflower Makhani or Gobhi Makhani or Butter Cauliflower. Must admit that it is a rich curry in every sense, but the taste too is truly rich. A must try dish I would say, especially if you have some guests coming up, serve this with some nan/jeera rice/pulao or any Indian bread.

Ingredients

1 cup cauliflower florets

2 onions, chopped roughly

3-4 tomatoes, chopped roughly

2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder

1 Tbsp fresh ginger-garlic paste

1/4 cup cashew nuts

1 tsp honey

2 cinnamon sticks

2 bay leaves

4 black cardamom

2 cloves

1 tsp turmeric powder

1-2 cups of water

1/4 cup corn flour

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

salt to taste

oil for deep frying

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp kasoori methi

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 Tbsp chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method

• Wash the cauliflower florets well. Rub turmeric powder and salt to the florets and steam them for about 10-15 minutes(until the florets are partially cooked)
• Make a paste with the corn flour, pepper and salt by adding little water.
• Rub the steamed florets with the cornflour paste and deep fry in oil, in batches on a medium flame until they turn brown and crisp. Remove them with a slotted spoon on to a kitchen towel, to remove the excess oil.

• To prepare the makhani gravy,  heat butter in a pressure cooker.
• Add the onion and fry until they turn translucent.
• Tie the cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cloves and cardamom in clean muslin cloth.
• Now add the ginger garlic paste(use freshly ground ginger garlic paste and not the store bought one). Saute for a few seconds or until the raw smell goes off. Then add the spices packed muslin cloth bag.
• Now add the chilli powder, tomatoes and cashew nuts. Mix well and fry for a minute.
• Close the cooker with its lid and cook until the cooker gives off 2-3 whistles.
• Switch off the cooker. Once the steam is released on its own, open the cooker and allow the contents to cool well.
• Once cooled blend the mixture well into a smooth paste.

• Heat some oil/butter in a wide pan. Add the ground paste, honey and salt. Saute for a minute.
• Add water to make a gravy. Once it starts to boil and gravy starts to thicken, add the kasoori methi and cream(diluted in little water) and mix well.
• Finally add the fried cauliflower florets. Mix well and serve garnished with chopped coriander leaves and drizzle some fresh cream on top.

Have served it here with some coconut rice, the recipe of which will be upcoming soon.