Easy Brinjal Fry

This is the recipe which comes to my rescue quiet often when I am in a hurry to pack my lunch and rush to office


INGREDIENTS

Brinjal - 5 medium sized (sliced)
Garlic - 5-6 pods(sliced)
Onion - 1 medium sized onion(sliced thin)
Pepper - 1sp
Jeera powder - 1sp
curry leaves
Salt to taste

METHOD :

- Heat oil in the kadai add the curry leaves
- Saute the onions and garlic with salt
- Add the jeera and pepper powder
- Add the Brinjal. Saute it occasionally. Cover and cook it till the brinjal is cooked

Veg Kurma

INGREDIENTS :

Onion - 1 medium sized(finely sliced)
Small onions - 2
Tomato - 1 medium sized
Green chillies - 2 or 3
Cashews - 4 or 5 (optional)
Ginger & Garlic paste - 1/2 Tbsp
Jeera - 1spoon
Coconut - 2-3 Tbsp
Turmeric powder
Veggies - Carrot, Potato, Peas, Beans, Butter beans
Garam masala - 1 Tsp
Cardamom - 1
Clove - 2
Bay leaf - 1
Coriander leaves
Salt to taste

METHOD :

- Heat oil in a kadai and the add the spices clove, cardamom and bay leaf
- Add onions and saute it for 2-3 minutes. Add salt and turmeric powder
- Add all the veggies and saute it for 2-3 minutes
- Add tomatoes
- Add the fine paste of coconut, ginger, garlic, jeera, coriander leaves, garam masala and green chilles
- Saute it and pressure cook it for one whistle.
- Serve hot

Note : If it is sweet peas make sure to add very less else you will end up making the kurma sweet :)

Virudhunagar kozhi kuzhambu

We are from a small town - Virudhunagar where the staple food is oil parotta and chicken curry which we love calling salna a perfect combination and rare to find round the globe :)

INGREDIENTS :

Chicken - 1/2 Kg(preferrably with bones)
Onions - if Shallots 5 or 6 if Small pearl onions 15-18 if red onion - 1 med size finely chopped
Jeera - 1Spoon
Coconut - 4-5Tbsp
Coriander seeds - 1Spoon
Red chillies
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder
Lemon juice
Pepper corns or Ground pepper- 1/2 tsp(optional)
Cashew - 5nos
Gingelly oil
Curry leaves
Salt to taste

- Cut the chicken in to medium sized pieces. Marinate it with turmeric powder, chilli powder,pepper powder and the lemon juice
- Heat oil in the kadai. Prefer not to use non stick pans. Add the curry leaves and the finely chopped onions. Saute till the onions are well done. Add to salt to cook it faster
- Add the marinated chicken and keep sauting
- Make a fine paste of coconut, cashew, some onions, Jeera, Coriander, red chillies and pepper if not used for marination
- Cook it till the chicken is cooked and oil seperates

Chana Masala

INGREDIENTS :

Chana/Garbanzo - 1 Cup
Onion - 1 medium size
Tomato - 1 medium size
Green chillies - 3 or 4 (or by taste)
Ginger & Garlic - 1Tbsp of paste
Jeera/Cumin - 1Tsp
Turmeric powder
Chilli powder
Coriander powder - 1Tsp
Channa Masala - 1Tbsp
Bay leaf - 1
Cardamom - 2
Cumin seed
Salt to taste

METHOD :

- Soak chana overnight or for 6hrs and pressure cook it till it is 75% done. Adding a tea bag while pressure cooking gives good color to the channa
- Grind ginger, garlic and the green chillies. I personally prefer freshly made ginger garlic paste. If adding ready available paste add chopped green chillies
- Heat the oil in kadai and add cumin seeds, bay leaf and the cardamom
- Add the finely chopped onions and saute it till the onions are done. Add salt to cook it faster
- Add turmeric powder, jeera powder, coriander powder and chilli powder. Chilli powder is optional and the amount depends on spice level.
- Add the ginger, garlic and green chilli paste
- Saute the mixture well and add the finely chopped tomatoes and cook it till oil seperates
- Add the mixture to the already cooked channa and pressure cook it for one whistle. The tea bag is not needed for this cooking
- Add any channa masala powder. Be generous. I personally prefer Kohinoor Channa Masala powder.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot

Tomato Chutney

INGREDIENTS :


Onion - Well this depends. If Small pearl onion 15-18, Red onion(medium sized) - 1,
Shallot - 5
Tomato - 1 medium sized
Garlic - 3pods
Red chillies - 5 or 6
Tamarind - optional
Coriander leaves
Hing
Oil
Mustard seeds
Urad dhal
Curry leaves
Salt to taste


METHOD :


- Heat oil in the kadai and add onions. Saute it for sometime
- Add garlic pods, red chillies and the tamarind. Saute it for 5 minutes. Add salt to have it done faster
- Add the cut tomatoes
- Saute till the onions become very glassy
- Turn off and while grinding add a string of coriander and hing
- Splutter some mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves. Add it to the grind chutney.

Mushroom Pakoda

INGREDIENTS :

Button mushrooms - 1 Packet

Ginger garlic paste - 2 tspns

Soy sauce – 2 tspns

Red chili paste - 1 tsp

Maida - 1/3rd cup
Corn flour - 1/3rd cup

Besan flour - 1/3rd cup

Salt to taste

Spring onions for garnishing

Oil- to deep fry

METHOD :

- Add the maida flour, corn flour, half of the besan flour, red chilli paste, ginger garlic paste, soy sauce ,salt to taste and make a semi thick batter using water.

- Dry fry the other half of the besan in a kadai and keep a side.

- Wash and dice the mushrooms into quarters and keep a side.

- Dip the mushrooms in the batter and roll them in the dry besan such that there is a dry besan covering around the mushroom pieces.

-heat oil in a kadai and deep fry them till golden brown, Use a tissue paper to drain out excess oil and serve hot with pudina chutney.

Chilly Mushroom

INGREDIENTS :

Button mushrooms - 1 Packet

Green chillies – 3-4

Capsicum – 2 medium diced

Onion – 2 medium diced

Ginger garlic paste - 2 tspns

Soy sauce – 2 tspns

Vinegar - 1 tspn

Red chili paste - 1 tsp

Tomato sause- 1 tbsp

Corn flour - 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Spring onions for garnishing

1 tblspn Oil

METHOD :

- Wash and dice the mushrooms into 
quarters.

- Heat oil in a kadai and fry greenchillies, ginger garlic paste, onions.

- Once the onions turn transparent add the diced capsicum, mushrooms and 
sauté.

-Add the red chilli paste(paste made out of dry red chillies soaked overnight in
water),soy sauce, tomato sauce, vinegar ,salt to taste and mix well.

- Once the mushrooms are cooked, sprinkle the cornflour and mix well until
the remaining liquid thickens and gets glossy.

- Garnish with spring onions and serve.

Egg Gravy

Ingredients:

Egg  – 2 Nos

Chilli powder – 2 tspn

Cumin/jeera powder- 1 tspn

Turmeric powder- 1 tspn

Onion – 1 medium sized (finely chopped)

Tomato – 2 medium sized

Coconut milk – 1 cup
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tablespoon

For seasoning :

Mustard seeds ,Jeera

Method:

- Add oil in a kadai and season with mustard seeds and jeera.

- Add chopped onion and sauté till it gets transparent, add the tomatoes and sauté till pulpy.

-Add the chili powder, jeera powder and turmeric power and mix well.

- Pour in the coconut milk, add salt and let it boil.

-Once the gravy comes to a boil break the egg shell and pour in the content into the gravy and let it cook.

Yennegayi,Whole Brinjal in Tangy Spicy Gravy

Ingredients:

Dry Masala for stuffing
Roasted and peeled Ground nuts: 2 tblsp
Coriander seeds/dhania: 1 tblsp

Cumin seeds/jeera: 1 tsp

Urad dal: 1 tsp
Cinnamon: 1 inch stick
Clove: 3-4 nos

Red chilli: 7-8
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves: 3 strings

Roasted channa da(gram)l/Pottu kadalai: 1 tbsp
Black sesame: 1 tsp
Niger seeds/hucchellu: 1 tsp (This is a must to get the authentic taste)
Dry coconut: 1-2 tbsp (grated)
Asafetida: 2 big pinches
Salt to taste

For the gravy:
Small eggplant: 10-15
Tamarind paste: 3 tblspns
Powdered Jaggery: 1 tsp(optional but recommended)
Onion: 1 big
Garlic: 2 pods

Oil: 3-5 tblsps
Water: 1.5-2 cups
Mustard Seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Curry leaves: 2 strings
Coriander leaves for garnishing


Method:

Dry masala for stuffing

-Dry roast all the ingredients mentioned(except Peanuts,coconut, roasted channa dal, asafetida & salt). Allow the spices to cool.

-Grind the roasted spices and roasted channa dal, coconut, asafetida, salt to prepare a fine powder.

- Finally add peanuts & run the mixie for 5secs (idea is to powder the peanuts to a coarse powder).

For gravy

- Wash the eggplant and slit the eggplant into 4 pieces .

- Fill a tbsp or less of the ground masala powder to each of the eggplant and keep the stuffed eggplant aside as shown below.

- Heat oil in a broad pan (ensure that the pan accommodates to cook all the whole eggplants)and season it with mustard seeds, cumin seeds,curry leaves.

- Add in garlic, onion and Sauté until onion turns golden brown.

- Add tamarind paste,the remaining dry masala powder and the stuffed eggplants and stir well as the gravy and Oil coats on the eggplants.

- Add water, jaggery, salt (check the taste before adding, as we have already added salt to the Masala powder), and mix well.

-Close the pan and let it cook on a low heat stirring occasionally and carefully so that they don’t break.

- Add little more water if required and cook for 15-18 mins or until the gravy becomes thick and the eggplants soft.

- Turn off the heat, garnish with coriander leaves and serve .

This is an authentic North Karnataka food best served with jolada roti. Yennegayi literally means kayi(vegetable) cooked in yenne(oil). So the more oil you put, the tastier the dish would be.

Italian white creamy pasta the Indian way

Ingredients:

Spiral Pasta: 125 grms
Butter: 2 tblspns
Garlic: 3-4 thinly minced
Onion: 1 medium sized

Red bell pepper: 1 medium sized

Green capsicum: 1 medium sized

Sweet corn kernels: 1/3^rd cup

Oregano: 2 tspn

Red Chilli flakes: 2 tspn

Black pepper corns : 3-4 crushed

Corn flour: 2 tblspns

Milk: 2 cups

Cheese: 1/4^th cup grated

Method:

- Cook pasta in salted water for about 10 minutes or till tender and make sure it’s not over cooked. Drain and rinse the pasta in cold water and toss in a little hot butter to make them non sticky.

- Meanwhile melt butter in a frying pan, sauté garlic, oregano, red chilli flakes, and onions till it turns transparent.

- Once the onions are transparent add the red pepper, capsicum, corn and sauté until its crisp and cooked.

- Stir in 2 tblspns of corn flour, salt, pepper and cook for a minute.

- Add milk and stir continuously to make sure there are no lumps. Add the cheese into the sauce and cook over medium heat until the sauce is thickened and bubbly. Do not let it boil.

- Finally after the sauce is ready add in the cooked pasta and serve. If desired, you can sprinkle on extra cheese before serving.

Badam Hearts

Ingredients:

All purpose flour (Maida) - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup

Fresh plain curds – ¾ cup

Ghee - 4 to 5 tspns

Badam/Almond Paste – 1 tblspn
Salt - a pinch

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Oil to deep fry
Badam/Almond crushed - for garnish as required

Method:

- Blend the curd, sugar, ghee and badam paste  to make a smooth cream like mixture

-  Add enough flour to the mixture and knead to soft dough and set it aside for half an hour.

- Simultaneously make the sugar syrup mixing sugar with just enough water for the sugar to soak and make syrup. Add cardamom powder ,badham mix(optional) and keep aside .

-  Take a small sized ball of dough and Press a little and cut to desired shapes(hearts). 

-  Fry these hearts in the heated oil till they turn golden color and remove it.

- Dip these hearts into the sugar syrup and then remove it on to a plate ( For about a min)

- Decorate with crushed badam/almond and serve

Palakottai Porial(Jackfruit seed)

Ingredients:

Jackfruit seeds – 1 cup close to 40 seeds

Sambar powder – 2 tblspns

Onion – 1 medium sized(finely chopped)

Coconut milk – ½ cup
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tablespoon

For seasoning :

Mustard seeds,Urad dhal,Jeera ,Curry leaves

Method:

- Add 2 cups of water in a pan and cook the seeds until they are soft .Drain water, peel off the skin and cut the seeds into two. Keep aside and allow it cool.

- Heat oil in kadai and season it with mustard seeds,urad dhal,jeera,curry leaves and add the finely chopped onions and sauté .

- once fried add in the sambar powder ,salt and sauté .

- Add the coconut milk and the jackfruit seeds and bring it to boil.

- Close the kadai and cook in medium flame until the gravy thickens and serve.

Andhra style green chilli chicken

Ingredients :

chicken - 1/2 kg
ginger-garlic paste – 1tblspn 
turmeric powder -1 tspn 
soya sauce – 1 tblspn

Curd – 2 cups
Fresh Green chillies – 8-10 depending on the spicyness
cooking oil – 1 cup (close to 250 grms)
Coriander  - for garnishing

Salt to taste

Ajinomotto (optional)

Marination :

Marinate the chicken for 30 mins in 2 cups of curd with 1 tspn turmeric powder,1tblspn ginger-garlic paste,1 tblspn soya sauce and salt to taste with a pinch of ajinomotto(optional).

Method :

- Heat the oil in a kadai and fry the chillies until pulpy.

- add the marinated chicken pieces with the remaining curd mixture and sauté .

-close the kadai and let it cook for 10 mins in medium flame.

- once the chicken pieces are tenderly cooked and the mixture is still a semi gravy with oil oozed out remove from the stove and serve.

Butter Chicken

Ingredients :

chicken - 1/2 kg
ginger-garlic paste – 1tblspn
Red chilli powder – 2 tblspns

turmeric powder -1 tspn
soya sauce – 1 tblspn

Curd – 2 cups
Butter  –  2 tblspns

Fresh cream – 1 cup
Curry leaves for garnishing

Salt to taste

Ajinomotto (optional)

Marination :

Marinate the chicken for 30 mins in 2 cups of curd with 1 tspn turmeric powder,1tblspn ginger-garlic paste,2 tblspns red chilli powder,1 tblspn soya sauce and salt to taste with a pinch of ajinomotto(optional) .

Method :

- Heat the butter in a kadai ,once melted add the marinated chicken pieces with the remaining curd mixture and sauté .

-close the kadai and let it cook for 10 mins in medium flame.

- once the chicken pieces are tenderly cooked and the mixture is still a semi gravy add the fresh cream and remove from the stove.

- Garnish with fried curry leaves and serve.

Pepper Chicken

Ingredients :

Chicken - 1/2 kg,

Big onion – 2 (Finely chopped)
Tomatoes  - 2(Finely chopped)
Ginger garlic paste-2 tblspns

Coriander powder-1 tblspn
Pepper corns -2 tblspns(fresh finely ground)
Garam masala – 1 tspn
Red Chilli powder -1 tspn

Fresh Coconut milk – 1 cup

Curry leaves – 2 strings

Coriander leaves – 1/2 bunch

Oil – 2 tblsp

Ghee – 1 tblsp

Salt – to taste

Lemon juice-1 tblspn

Ajinomotto - a pinch (Optional)

Marination :

Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes with 1 tspn Red chilli powder , 1 tspn turmeric powder,1/2 tblspn pepper power,1 tblspn ginger garlic paste and little salt with a pinch of ajinomotto(optional)

Method :

-  Heat 2 tblspns oil in a kadai and add the nicely minced onion, curry leaves and sauté till oil separates.

- Then add the ginger garlic paste and turmeric powder. Stir well so that the pastes don’t get burnt.

- Add the minced tomato and smash it using the spatula.

- Once the tomatos are pulpy and done add the coriander powder, garam masala powder and mix well.

- Fry till the raw masala smell subsides giving out a pleasant fragrance and then add the fresh coconut milk extract with little water sprinkled into the masala .

-  Reduce the flame to medium. Close the kadai and let the masal cook for 5 minutes or until the oil gets separated and starts floating on top.

- At this stage add the marinated chicken pieces,1 tblspn of the crushed pepper corns and  salt to taste.

- Close the kadai and cook in medium flame for 8 to 10 minutes.

- Once the pieces are tender and cooked there will be little oil oozed out at this stage 

add 1 tbspn ghee, remaining crushed pepper corns, little curry leaves, coriander and Sauté nicely till it gets dry

- Finally add the lemon juice after switching off the stove and garnish with coriander leaves ,fried curry leaves.

Javvarisi Payasam

Ingredients:

Vermicelli/ Semiya  - 1/2 cup, broken into small bits
Sago/ Javvarisi/ sabudana  - 1/2 cup
Milk -  4 cups
Sugar - 1 cup and a few tbsp more as per the taste
Cardamom - 3 to 4 cardamom pods, finely crushed with some sugar

Ghee - 2 table spoons
Raisins - 1 to 2 table spoons
Cashew pieces - 1 to 2 table spoons

Method :

- add  1 tsp of ghee in a heavy bottomed pan, preferably deep pan and roast the sago/javvarisi/ sabudana for a few mins.. It will turn a bit shiny and translucent. Then add about 2 cup or so water and allow to cook on a low flame. The roasting will ensure that the sago pearls don't stick.

- Roast the Vermicelli /Semiya separately in another tsp of ghee until it turns golden brown and keep it ready. 

- Once the javvarisi has almost cooked through, add the roasted semia followed by all the milk. Allow this to come to a boil and simmer on a low-medium flame taking care to ensure it doesn't boil over.

This mixture has to simmer until the milk thickens and reduces a bit... During this process, the semiya will be cooked and so will the sago. 

- When its viscous enough, add the sugar & cardamom powder and stir.

This payasam actually thickens upon cooling due to the starchiness of the Sago/Javvarisi so let it be a little liquid. 

- In a separate pan, heat the 1 tbsp of ghee and roast cashews till golden and add raisins, once they plump up toss the entire mixture into the payasam.

And the yummy payasam is ready ;) 

Introduction

Now for the starting will introduce the chefs of this Food blog...

Born foodies, dieting to keep on the waist size but then... Food takes over the temptation, so here we end up giving in for more food and appetite... 

Having been jealous of all the slim souls we are in this new venture to pass on the secret of being plump and healthier...

Being born in the down south, idli vada sambar wasn’t by choice and the oil parotta with salna added to the attributes of our birth place with more delicacies to ponder the taste buds, but with the lifes destination we were bought up in different states where we happened to match sambar with thilisaru and pappu…

So,I in the land of Wadiyar and she in the land of Nizams and with food in mind we started experimenting the flavors across states and ended up with too many recipes that our body could hold but brains coudnt.Thus came the idea of jotting it down on a feasible medium accessible to similar foodies…

This is not just a blog about cooking, this is about the joy of blending the ingredients...its not just about eating, it is about savoring... its not about getting drunk, its about appreciating a good drink...its not about jumping when you have got a recipe perfect, its about sharing the same...

Now food is just a blog closer, not that we are delivering you some yummy food at your door...Nor is it gona be an invite for those guniapigs to test upon...Yet it is a blog to update on the recipes for self trial and experimentation...though the risk is limited as all the recipes posted in here are tried, tested and proven yummy from our cook place!!