GARLIC MUSHROOMS ROASTED

GARLIC MUSHROOMS ROASTED

• 16 even-sized open cup mushrooms, stalks cut level
• 3 tbsp corn or vegetable oil
• 75g unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped very finely
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme,( ayamothakam/ omam) chopped
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 50g fresh breadcrumbs

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.  Lightly fry the mushrooms, cap-side down, in hot oil for 20 seconds.

Arrange the mushrooms in a shallow roasting tin with the stalks facing upwards.

Mix together the butter, garlic, thyme, lemon juice and seasoning. Spoon a little garlic butter on to each mushroom, then lightly press the breadcrumbs on top. Either refrigerate for later use, or cook immediately in the oven for 10 minutes.

Chicken Kurma

Chicken Kurma

Ingredients

Chicken – 1 Kg
Onion, finely sliced – 3
Garlic-ginger paste – 3 table spoon
Green chilly – 5
Cinnamon – 1 piece
Clove – 4
Cardamom – 5
Black Pepper powder – 2 table spoon
Coriander powder – 2 table spoon
Potato – 2 (cut into pieces)
Thick coconut milk – 1 cup
Cashew nut – 20 (soaked and ground)
Curds – 2 table spoon
Oil – 2 Table spoon
Salt, coriander leaves, curry leaves – enough

Method

Pour oil in pressure cooker and fry cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Then add ginger-garlic paste and crushed green chilly. Add onion and after it is fried. add coriander powder, pepper powder and salt. Add curry leaves. Add chicken and potato. Close the lid and cook. Wait for three whistle and put out the fire. After it is cooked well, add the curd, cashew paste and coconut milk and bring to boil. Add coriander leaves.

Spiced, Aromatic Prawn/Shrimp Roast

Spiced, Aromatic Prawn/Shrimp Roast

Ingredients

Serves 4

500g prawns or shrimps, peeled and deveined

3 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 green chili, slit

1 inch fresh ginger piece

5 sprig curry leaves, divided

Salt, to taste

2 cups water, plus extra for grinding

2 tablespoon oil, or more (use coconut oil for authentic taste)

Directions

Grind ginger, green chili, 2 sprig curry leaves, turmeric powder and chili powder to a smooth paste, adding a small amount of water. 

In a heavy-based pan, combine the masala paste with the water and place over medium-low heat. Tip in the prawns and season. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until prawns are tender. Then increase the heat and boil the liquid until thick and reduced, stirring often. When most of the liquid has been absorbed and the prawns are coated with the marinade, drizzle generously with oil. Taste and season, if needed. Add remaining curry leaves — or as much as you like — and cook over very low heat for a few more minutes. Ah, at this stage, don't forget to enjoy the smell of the roasting prawns wafting through the kitchen, whetting your appetite! And, take care not to scorch the marinade. Remove from heat when the prawns start to crisp and turn golden brown. Serve warm with steamed rice.

Spiced Eggplant Fry — Vazhuthananga Porichathu

Spiced Eggplant Fry — Vazhuthananga Porichathu

Spiced Eggplant Fry — Vazhuthananga Porichathu

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants (brinjal), thinly sliced

10 dry red chilies

1 tablespoon peppercorns

3 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 chicken stock cube (I used Knorr)

2 sprigs fresh curry leaves

Oil for shallow frying

 

Directions

Rub the eggplant slices with salt and rinse well. Eggplants tend to be bitter and soggy and salting helps drain the bitter juices and also makes the vegetable less permeable before frying.

In a blender, process the chilies, peppercorns, garlic cloves, vinegar and curry leaves to a fine paste. Crumble the stock cube and mix well with the paste. Remember that the stock is well seasoned, so don’t add any extra salt. Tip onto a shallow plate, add the eggplant slices and coat both sides with this mixture. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium-low heat. Place the marinated slices in a single layer in the fat and leave for 5-6 minutes to start to crisp. Be careful not to let it burn. Turn over the other side and repeat until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with steamed rice. 

Pavakka Mulakittadu — Sour and Spicy Bitter Melon Curry

Pavakka Mulakittadu — Sour and Spicy Bitter Melon Curry 

Ingredients

Serves 4-5

Prep+cooking: 40 min

3 cups bitter gourd, finely sliced

2 medium red onions, halved and finely sliced

2 medium tomatoes, diced small

3-4 green chilies, slit lengthwise

15 curry leaves, torn, plus extra sprig for tempering

2 ½ to 3 tablespoons tamarind paste, or to taste

3 ¾ cups water, divided

2 ½ teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

salt, to taste

1 tablespoon oil

½ teaspoon black mustard seeds

2 dry red chilies, broken

Directions

To prep the melon, trim the ends off and halve each lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and spongy insides; discard. Cut the halved melons into thin slices.

Meanwhile, dissolve tamarind pate in ¾ cup warm water; set aside.

Put bitter melon, onion, tomato, green chili, curry leaf, tamarind water, remaining water and salt in a medium pot (I prefer cooking in a clay pot). Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Then tip in ground chili and turmeric and cook until vegetables soften, and liquid reduces to a thick sauce, about 25-30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Finally, heat oil in a small skillet until shimmering. Add mustard seeds and cook until fragrant and sizzling, about 10 seconds. Then stir in broken dry red chilies and curry leaves; quickly remove from heat. Pour the spice-infused oil over the curry, stir, and serve warm scooped up with plain rice.

Red Fish Curry

Red Fish Curry — Meen Vevichathu

Ingredients

Serves 4

450g fish, cleaned, sliced or cut into chunks (I used seer or kingfish known as aiyakoora or neymeen in Malayalam)

2 tablespoons oil, divided (preferably coconut oil)

¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

¼ cup sliced shallots

2 sprigs curry leaves, plus few extra leaves for tempering

1 medium tomato

2 small green chilies

1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste

½ teaspoon fenugreek powder

3 ½—4 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder 

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

4 pieces kodampuli, rinsed

1 cup water

salt, to taste

½ teaspoon black mustard seeds

Directions

In a manchatti or clay pot, heat 1 ½ tablespoon oil over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add fenugreek and cook until the seeds crackle, about 15 seconds. Add shallots and curry leaves, and gently fry until shallots are tender, about 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, blend tomatoes, green chilies, ginger-garlic paste, fenugreek powder, chili powder and turmeric to a smooth paste in a grinder or food processor.

When the shallots are tender, add the paste, kodampuli, enough salt to taste, water, and bring everything to boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Gently tip in fish, stirring to coat the pieces in the sauce. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the fish flakes easily, and the gravy is thickened and reduced to your taste. Gently swirl or shake the pot to mix the flavors, taking care not to break the fish pieces. Adjust seasoning as needed; remove from heat.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the remaining oil (½ tablespoon) until shimmering. Tip in mustard seeds and cook until they crackle, about 10 seconds. Add the remaining curry leaves, and remove from heat. This cooking technique is called tarkha or tempering. Now quickly fold the toasted ingredients into the hot curry.

Serve hot with steamed rice and yoghurt on the side.

Gobi Manchurian Dry Recipe 

Manchurian made from gobi (cauliflower) is one of the best starters you can have in any party. Among dry and with gravy variants of it, dry one is widely preferred due to its versatility as a snack that can be served as a starter or as an accompaniment for dinner. There are two parts for making dry manchurian with gobi 1) make florets and 2) make spicy sauté. Learn how to make restaurant like delicious phool gobi manchurian dry with this easy step by step photos recipe.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients:

For Florets

1/2 cup Corn Flour

5 tablespoons Maida (all purpose flour)

1 medium size Cauliflower (Phool Gobi), broken into medium size florets

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Paste

1/2 teaspoon Ginger Paste

Oil, for deep frying

Salt

1/2 cup Water

For Sauté

1½ teaspoons Garlic Paste

2 teaspoons Ginger Paste

2 Green Chillies, finely chopped

1 large Onion, finely chopped

1 small Green Capsicum, finely chopped

1½ tablespoons Soy Sauce

1/2 tablespoon Chilli Sauce

2 tablespoons Tomato Ketchup

2 tablespoons Cooking Oil

2 tablespoons Spring Onion, finely chopped

Salt

Directions for Florets:

1. Boil cauliflower florets in salted water over medium flame for 3-4 minutes. After boiling, drain excess water and pat dry florets on tissue paper.
2. Mix maida, corn flour, 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste, 1/2 teaspoon garlic paste, 1/2 cup water and salt in a bowl to make a batter. Make sure that batter is not too thick or not too thin. Its thickness should be similar to thickness of dosa batter. Add all florets in batter and mix well. For perfect manchurian, batter should coat florets evenly.
3. Heat oil in kadai (frying pan) over medium flame. Carefully drop or slide 6 to 8 florets in oil and deep fry over medium flame until they turn golden brown. Drain and transfer deep fried florets over paper napkin to a plate. Deep fry remaining florets.

Directions for Sauté:

1. Heat 2-tablespoons oil in a wide, thin-bottomed pan or wok on medium flame. Add 2 teaspoons ginger paste, 1½ teaspoons garlic paste, chopped green chillies, chopped capsicum and chopped onion.
2. Sauté them on high flame for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add soy sauce, tomato ketchup, chilli sauce and salt.
4. Stir continuous and cook for a minute
5. Add deep fried florets.
6. Toss and mix deep fried florets with other ingredients in pan for 1-2 minutes keeping flame on high. (Tossing everything on high heat in wok or pan is must for making best Chinese gobi manchurian dry.)
7. Transfer it to a plate and garnish with spring onion. Serve it hot with tomato ketchup and chilli sauce.

Tips and Variations:

• Do not keep deep fried florets idle for long time otherwise they will turn soft and you will not get the crunchy taste.
• Serve this dish immediately to get crispy taste of florets.
• Dry manchurian of gobi gets its primary taste from chilli sauce and soy sauce. You can adjust the quantity of these two sauces to get a desired flavor.
• To clean cauliflower florets, soak them in hot salted water for 15 minutes.
• Do not try to deep fry all florets in a single go, as they may not cook evenly.
• If you like crispy dry cauliflower manchurian, then deep fry batter coated florets for little longer than suggested time in this recipe.

Taste: Dry and spicy

Serving Ideas: Serve it as a starter or appetizer or as an accompaniment with   fried rice.

Red Chilli Chutney Recipe 

Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Cooking Time: 3 minutes

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients:

8-10 Whole Dry Red Chillies

1/2 inch Ginger, chopped

8 Garlic Cloves

1½ teaspoons Lemon Juice

1 tablespoon Cumin-Coriander Powder

2 tablespoons Oil

1/3 teaspoon Salt

Directions:

1. Deseed and soak dry red chillies in water for 20 minutes and drain them.
2. Take drained red chillies, ginger, garlic, cumin-coriander powder and salt in a small chutney jar of a food processor or grinder. Grind them with 1 tablespoon water until smooth paste.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium size pan and add prepared paste.
4. Sauté it for 2-3 minutes over low flame. Turn off the flame and let it cool at room temperature and mix lemon juice.
5. Transfer red chilli garlic chutney to serving bowl. Use it to make delicious chaats like bhel puri, sev puri or pav bhaji, etc. and give it a spicy touch.

Tips and Variations:

• For even better taste and texture, use mortar and pestle to make this chutney. It will give a coarse texture like no other.
• Use more oil if you like to have an oily chutney. It improves the taste and texture a lot.

Taste: Very hot and spicy

Serving Ideas: There are simply many ways in which red chilli chutney can be used to transform any dull food into titillating spicy food. E.g. use it as spicy condiment for dosa, idli or as a dip for samosa, kachori and various Indian snacks or as a spread to make sandwiches and rolls.

Garlic Rasam Recipe

This Andhra style rasam is like a big daddy of all rasams you have ever tasted – spicy to its core and loaded with flavors of garlic, tamarind and various other spices. As with all its siblings, garlic rasam is best enjoyed when served with a steamed rice, papad, poriyal and a delicious chutney. Try it during a winter and see how your body heats up from inside! This spicy South Indian fare is also known as Poondu Rasam in Tamilnadu.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 2 servings

Ingredients:

8-10 Garlic Cloves, crushed

1/2 tablespoon Tamarind

1-2 Dry Red Chillies (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon Black Peppercorns

1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds

1/2 teaspoon Chana Dal

1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

3-4 Curry Leaves

1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon Oil

Salt to taste

For Tempering:

1/2 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

5-6 Curry Leaves

1 teaspoon Ghee

Directions:

1. Soak tamarind in 1-cup warm water for 5-10 minutes. Mash it with your hand and strain it through a sieve, collect the tamarind juice in small bowl and keep aside until called for use. Discard the remaining solids.
2. Heat 1-teaspoon oil in a small pan over low flame. Add dry red chilies, black peppercorns, coriander seeds and chana dal. Roast them until nice aroma starts to come, approx 2 minutes.
3. Allow it to cool to room temperature. Transfer to grinder jar, add cumin seeds, 3-4 curry leaves and 1-2 tablespoons water. Grind into medium coarse paste.
4. Heat remaining 1-teaspoon oil in the same pan over low flame for sauteing and saute crushed garlic cloves in it until golden brown. Transfer them to a plate.
5. Take tamarind juice (extracted in step-1) and 1½-cups water in another large pan, add salt to taste and bring it to boil over medium flame. When it starts to boil, reduce flame to low and cook for 7-8 minutes or until raw smell of tamarind goes away.
6. Add sautéed garlic cloves (prepared in step-4), ground paste (prepared in step-3) and 1-cup water; mix well, cook for 2-3 minutes and take it away from flame/cook-top.
7. Heat ghee in the small pan over low flame for tempering. Add mustard seeds and allow them to sizzle. Add 5-6 curry leaves and sauté for 10-15 seconds. Turn off flame and pour it over prepared rasam. Mix and transfer to serving bowl.
8. Hot and spicy garlic rasam is now ready to tantalize your taste buds.

Tips and Variations:

• Add 1-tomato (finely chopped) in step-3 along with other ingredients in grinding jar and reduce tamarind quantity to 1/4-tablespoon (in step-1) to make tomato-garlic rasam.
• Garnish it with finely chopped coriander leaves.
• Make sure that spices do not turn dark brown while roasting them in step-2.

Taste: Spicy

Serving Ideas:  Serve it hot with steamed rice and papad.

Peanut Chutney Recipe

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Roasted Peanuts, skin removed

3 Garlic Cloves

1/4 teaspoon Tamarind Paste

4 Dry Red Chillies

1/2 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

4-5 Curry Leaves

2 teaspoons Oil

1/2 cup Water

Salt

Directions:

1. Take roasted peanuts, garlic, 3 dry red chillies, tamarind paste and salt in a chutney jar of grinder.
2. Grind them together to make a medium coarse powder.
3. Add 1/2 cup water and grind again until smooth paste. Transfer paste to a serving bowl and proceed to prepare tempering.
4. Heat oil in a small pan. Break 1 dry red chilli into two pieces. Add mustard seeds; when they start to crackle, add curry leaves and remaining 1 dry red chilli. Sauté for 10 seconds and turn off flame.
5. Pour tempering over chutney paste. Chutney is now ready to be served with steamed idli and dosa.

Tips and Variations:

• If roasted peanuts are not available, then you can dry roast them over low flame in a heavy based pan for 7-8 minutes. Let them cool for 3-4 minutes and remove the skin.
• Increase or decrease the amount of red chillies to make more or less spicy respectively. Adding more chillies will in fact make it Andhra style spicy peanut chutney.
• You can avoid topping it up with mustard seeds tempering if you are going use it only for making dosa.