Kuzhi Aapam

Ingredients :

Thick Poha (Avvalakki) - 1 Cup 

Rice (Sona Masoori) - 3 Cups

Thick plain Yoghurt (Curd) - 1/2 Cup 

Fenugreek (Methi) seeds - 1 tsp 

Jaggery/karupatti - 1 cup

Ghee as required

Will essentially need a Kuzhi Aapam pan

(either cast iron or non-stick)

Method :

- Soak poha, rice and methi seeds overnight. 

- Grind to a fine smooth paste the next day using as less water as possible. 

- Mix batter with jaggery/Karupatti and yoghurt and let ferment overnight.

- Heat the aapam pan. (If using a non-stick pan you don’t need to oil much, but if you

 are using a cast iron pan, add about ¼ tsp of oil to each pit. )

- Using a ladle pour batter into each pit. 

- Cover and cook on low heat for 2 mins. 

- When the sides of each paddu are set, using a spoon flip each paddu to cook on the 

 other side (insides). 

- You will know when the sides are set by slowly running the spoon along the edges, it 

 will not be sticky once its fully cooked and will come out easily.

- Cook for 30 seconds or so on the other side and remove paddus from pan and serve.

Paddu / Kara Kuzhipaniyaram

Ingredients :

Thick Poha (Avvalakki) - 1 Cup 

Rice (Sona Masoori) - 3 Cups

Thick plain Yoghurt (Curd) - 1 Cup 

Fenugreek (Methi) seeds - 1 tsp 

Salt to taste

Green Chillies - 2 nos

Channa Dhal - 2 tbspns soaked in water.

Jeera - 1 tspn

Red Onion - 2-3 chopped 

Oil as required

Will essentially need a Kuzhi Aapam pan (either cast iron or non-stick)

Method :

- Soak poha, rice and methi seeds overnight. 

- Grind to a fine smooth paste the next day using as less water as possible. 

- Mix batter with salt and yoghurt and let ferment overnight.

- If the batter hasn’t risen the next day, then add ½ tsp of Cooking soda.

- Add the green chillies ,chopped onions and channa dhal to the batter and keep aside.

- Heat the aapam pan. (If using a non-stick pan you don’t need to oil much, but if you are

 using a cast iron pan, add about ¼ tsp of oil to each pit. )

- Using a ladle pour batter into each pit. 

- Cover and cook on low heat for 2 mins. 

- When the sides of each paddu are set, using a spoon flip each paddu to cook on the 

 other side (insides). 

- You will know when the sides are set by slowly running the spoon along the edges, it 

 will not be sticky once its fully cooked and will come out easily.

- Cook for 30 seconds or so on the other side and remove paddus from pan and serve.

Chicken Stuffed Portobello Mushroom

Ingredients:

Ground Chicken - 1/2 Cup

Portobello Mushroom - 6
Onion - 1/8 Cup finely chopped
Capsicum/Bell pepper - 1/8 Cup finely chopped
Minced Garlic - 1 Tbsp
Olive oil - 4 Tbsp
Oregano - a pinch
Parsley - a pinch
Parmesan Cheese - 1/4 Cup
Mozzarella Cheese - 1/4 Cup
Bread crumbs - 1/2 Cup

Method:

1. Preheat the oven at 400F
2. Rub some olive oil on the Mushroom after removing the stems. Chop the stems removed and keep it aside.
3. In a pan heat the remaining oil and saute the chicken and when it is half done add the onions, pepper, garlic, chopped mushroom stem.
4. Remove it from heat when the chicken is cooked.
5. Now add Mozzarella cheese, half of the Parmesan cheese, 3/4th of the bread crumbs, Parsley and Oregano
6. Spoon this mixture in to the mushroom and top it with the left over bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.
7. Bake it for 15 - 18 minutes or until the cheese on the top melts

8. Leave it out for sometime and serve it warm.

Potato fry

Ingredients

Potato - 3 skin peeled and diced
Onion - one big
Ginger garlic - 1Tsp
Coriander powder - 1Tbsp
Red chilly - 3
Amchur powder - 1/2 Tsp
(If no amchur powder use chat masala)
Turmeric powder
Red chilli powder
Oil
Mustard
Jeera
Curry leaves

Method

Heat the oil in kadai and splutter the mustard and Jeera. Add the curry leaves and red chilly when the mustard is spluttering. Now add the onions and then saute it for sometime. Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute it till the raw smell is gone. Add the coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and little of the red chilly powder. Saute it well and cook it covered in low flame. Add the amchur powder and cook it for some more time. Keep checking now and then. when the potatoes are cooked. Stir it well in high flame and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. This tastes even better when you add fresh methi leaves when adding the amchur powder.

Meen Kuzhambu (Fish curry)

Ingredients

Fish - 1KG
Onion - 1 Big red onion or Shallots - 15
Tomato - 1big sized
G.Chillies - 4thai chillies
Curry leaf - around 20 leaves or more
Coriander -  11/2 Tbsp
Garlic - 5 or 6 cloves
Tamarind juice - 1/3 cup or per taste
Coconut milk - 1/4 cup
Cumin seeds - 1tsp
Fennel seeds - 1tsp
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Peppercorns - 1/2 tsp
Gingelly oil(preferred)

For marination
Red Chilli powder - 2Tbsp
Pepper - 1tsp
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Lemon juice- 11/2 Tbsp

Method

Marinate the fish with the items listed and leave it for an hour. Cut the onions length wise. Heat the kadai and add oil liberally. Splutter mustard, fennel seed, peppercorns and cumin seed. Add curry leaves and saute it. Now add the onions and fry it till it is brown. Now add garlic, green chillies and the coriander powder. Saute till the onions are well cooked. Now add the finely chopped tomatoes and cook it till oil seperates. The secret of making good meen kuzhambu is good amount of sauting and cooking the onion and tomato very well. When the tomatoes are also cooked well add the tamarind water and let the tomatoes and onions cook well. Keep sauting now and then. When this is cooked add the coconut milk and cook it for some more time. Check for salt and chilli powder and add it as required. Also remember we used chilli powder for the marination. Add the marinated fish and cover the lid and cook it in low flame. Cook till the fish is well cooked. The oil should seprate when the fish is cooked.

Mutton Dum Biryani

There are many versions of Dum Biryani and this is mine.

Ingredients:

Mutton - 1/2 Kg
Basmati rice - 2 1/2 Cup
Onions - 2 Red onions
Roma tomatoes - 3

Curd - 350 grms
Mint - 1 bunch(Cleanes and chopped finely)
Cilantro - 1 bunch(Cleanes and chopped finely)
Green Chillies - 8
Ginger & Garlic paste - 3 Spoon full
Dhaniya powder - 2 Spoon full
Garam masalas (Fennel seeds, Jeera seed, Bay leaf, Javithri, Cloves, Cinnamon, Cardamom - black & green)
Lemon juice - Squeezed from one big lemon
Shan Biryani masala - 1 Spoon(optional)
Oil & Ghee - Per taste
Food color - a pinch (optional)

Method
For Marination

In a bowl marinate Mutton, Curd, Lemon juice, Half of the cut tomatoes, Half of the mint, Half of the cilantro, Salt, Dhaniya powder, very little of the Shan masala and leave it for an hour. You can also add very little garam masala powder to this.

Take the vessel in which you want to prepare the biryani. Heat it in medium flame and add the oil & ghee mixture. Now add the whole garam masala and saute it for sometime. Add the onions and saute it till it is golden brown. Now add the ginger garlic paste. Saute it till the raw smell of the paste is gone. Add the green chillies and saute it. Now add the marinated mutton and cook it in high flames for 10 minutes. Then put it back in medium flame and cook it till the mutton is cooked. While it is cooking you can add red chilli powder if needed. Check for salt and add per taste.

In another vessels half cook the Basmati rice. This is the tricky part and it varies for different brands of basmati rice. Soak the rice for 15 minutes before half cooking it. Add little salt only for the rice as the other masala and mutton has enough salt in it.

Now coming to the Dum - Keep it in low flame. Add some rice on top of the mutton masala. Top it with some cut Tomatoes, Cilantro, Mint and little Shan Biryani masala. Repeat the layers of rice and the cut Tomatoes, Cilantro, Mint and little Shan Biryani masala. Mix the food color and pour it on the top in a circle. Close the lid really tight. If it is not tight enough make some wheat flour dough and stick it to the lid like a paste. The Biryani is ready when the steam comes out.

Serve hot with Raitha.