Saturday, July 24, 2010

Gobi Manchurian


Gobi Manchurian is an Indo-Chinese dish that we usually order at restaurants for our Naans, Phulkas and Rotis. It is very easy to prepare at home provided we have all required ingredients. I prepared as semi gravy dish for my phulkas. It tastes real good however it is dry or gravy. Believe me, it came outr real well and the taste was awesome :). A comment from my dad..

It is a real treat for Cauliflower lovers!! The recipe here it goes...

Ingredients
Cauliflower - 1 cup (separated as florets)
Capsicum - 1 (diced cubes)
Onion - 1 small cup (diced cubes)
Oil - to deep fry



For the batter
Maida - 3 tbsp
Corn flour - 1 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
White pepper powder - 1 tsp
Soya sauce - 1 tsp
Ajnomotto - a pinch
Salt - required for the batter
Water - as required

To Saute
Oil - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 2 or 3 pods (finely chopped as very small cubes)
Soya sauce - 1 tbsp
Tomato Chilli Sauce - 2 tsp
Tomato Ketchup - 1 tbsp
Red Chilli paste - 1 tbsp
Salt - required for the gravy sauce
Courn flour paste - 2 tbsp (Thin paste)

How to prepare Red Chilli paste:
Soak two to three dry red chillis in hot water for 30 minutes and then grind it to a paste.

Procedure
(1) Heat water in a pan and put the florets.
(2) Take out the florets and wait till water completely drains off.
(3) Add all the items given in for the batter section and make a paste.
(4) See to it that the paste is not too thick or thin.
(5) Add Cauliflower florets to the paste and coat it one by one.
(6) Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry the cauliflower florets.
(7) In a pan, pour some oil as given in to saute section.
(8) Add finely chopped garlic pieces to the hot oil.
(9) Now add the diced onions and capsicums and fry for a minute.
(10) Add Red chilli paste, Soyasauce, tomato chilli sauce, tomato ketchup.
(11) Add Corn flour paste and salt.
(12) Saute the gravy in a medium flame for 3 to 4 min.
(13) Now add the fried cauliflower florets and cook for 2 min.
(14) Turn off the stove and transfer it to a serving dish.
(15) Now our Gobi Manchurian is ready to be served.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Paneer Makhani - Paneer Butter Masala


Paneer Makhani is a delicious Punjabi recipe and the word Makhani means "butter".

This dish goes well with your Phulkas, Rotis, Chappathis and Parathas. The main thing is the silky texture of this dish..

I have added crushed dry fenugreek leaves which adds more taste to this dish. Saffron food color adds on color to your dish. I had ripe tomatoes, so haven't used food color.

Ingredients
Paneer - 250 gms
Onion - 1
Tomatoes - 3 or 4
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Cashews - 4
Dry Fenugreek leaves - 2 tsp (crushed)
Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Corriander Powder - 3 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp
Tomato Ketchup - 2 tsp
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Water - to grind
Butter - 1 tbsp

Procedure
1. In a non-stick pan, add 3/4th of the butter and wait for it to melt.
2. Add Cumin seeds and wait for it to splutter.
3. Now add chopped onions and saute for few minutes.
4. Add Ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell is off.
5. Add all the dry powders, crushed dry fenugreek leaves, salt and saute for sometime.
6. Now add the cashews, tomatoes and saute till it leaves out oil.
7. Add very little water and allow the masalas to cook.
8. Turn off the stove and allow it to cool.
9. Blend it to a fine paste with water.
10. Heat butter in a non-stick pan and pour the grinded gravy.
11. Add sugar, tomato ketchup and stir for few minutes.
12. Now add your paneer cubes and cook for 2 minutes in low flame.
13. Pour the Paneer Makhani in serving dish and add butter or fresh cream on top.
14. Now its ready to be served hot with melting butter and your Roti & Chappathis.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Chettinadu Chicken Kulambhu


Chettinadu Chicken Kulambhu is a delicious, authentic and traditional recipe from Chettinadu Kitchen. Its a very simple and easy dish to prepare that goes well with all types of main course dishes like Rice, Idly, Dosai, Phulkas, Rotis and Parathas.

Fennel seeds is the main ingredient among spices that adds on taste to this Chicken Kulambhu. And more important is the Sambhar powder (A combination of Dry Red Chilli powder and Dhaniya powder) that is prepared at home.

Ingredients
Chicken - 250 gms
Onions - 1 (chopped)
Tomatoes - 1/2 (big, chopped)
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Sambhar powder - 2 tsp
(Home made chilli powder and dhaniya powder combination)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Water - 1 cup
Salt - as required
Oil - 1 tbsp

To Grind
Tomatoes - 1/2 (big, chopped)
Garlic - 2
Fennel seeds - 3/4 tsp
Grated Coconut - 1 tbsp
Roasted Channa dhal - 1/4 tsp (Pottukadalai)
Cashews - 2 or 3

To Season
Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
Garlic pods - 4
Curry leaves - few

Procedure
1. In a pressure cooker pour Oil and wait till it gets hot.
2. Add the items given in to season one by one.
3. Add the chopped onions and saute it for few minutes.
4. Now add the chopped tomatoes and saute it for few more minutes.
5. Add the Chicken pieces and saute it for 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Now add all the dry powders, salt and saute it till leaves out oil.
7. Add water and pressure cook for one whistle.
8. Once pressure is released, add the grinded paste in a low flame and wait it oil separates out or till one boil.
9. Now the Chicken Kulambhu is ready to be served hot with your plain rice.

Spicy Egg Curry



Spicy Egg Curry is another recipe that adds on to my list of own dishes. This curry goes well with Phulkas, Parathas and Rotis.

I often prepare this as a side dish for my Phulkas and Parathas on dinner. I just love this spicy egg curry, and want you readers to try this out.

Ingredients
Boiled Eggs - 3 (cut into 2 halves)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Onions - 1 (big,chopped)
Tomatoes - 2 (chopped)
Cashews - 3
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Corriander powder - 3 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves - few
Water - very little
Salt - to taste

Procedure
1. To a pan, add half of the oil and wait till it gets hot.
2. Now add the chopped onionsand saute till it turns out transparent and then add ginger-garlic paste.
3. Saute till raw smell is off, then add tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes.
4. Add all the dry powders, salt, cashews and saute for 2 minutes.
5. Add little water and cook for a minute and turn off the stove.
6. Grind the cooked masala to a thick gravy and add water while grinding as required.
7. Now heat the remaining oil in a pan and add curry leaves.
8. Pour the grinded gravy and stir for 2 minutes.
9. Add the boiled eggs and turn off the stove.
10.Now the Spicy Egg Curry is ready to be served hot with your phulkas and rotis.

Yoghurt Mutton Gravy - Mutton Thayir Kulambhu


Yoghurt Mutton Gravy is my own dish, I just tried and it came out very well and thought like why don't I share my receipe and experience here for my friends and blog readers. This gravy goes well with Rotis, Phulkas, Parathas and Rice as well.

Yoghurt is a good natural tenderizer for hard meats. It gives a good tangy taste to the dish as it blends with tomatoes and believe me the gravy was too good and I want you readers to try this out and let me know how it tastes?

Ingredients
Onions - 1 (chopped)
Tomatoes - 1 (small, chopped)
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Sambhar powder - 2 tsp
Home made chilli powder and dhaniya powder combination)
Water - 1 cup

To Marinate
Mutton - 250gms
Yoghurt - 1 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - as required

To Grind
Tomatoes - 1 (small, chopped)
Garlic - 2
Fennel seeds - 3/4 tsp
Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp
Cashews - 3 or 4

To Season
Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
Garlic pods - 5
Curry leaves - few

Procedure
1. Marinate the Mutton pieces for an hour.
2. In a pressure cooker pour Oil and wait till it gets hot.
3. Add the items given in to season one by one, then add the Onions and saute till it changes little color.
4. Now add all the dry powders and very little salt.
5. Add the marinated mutton and fry for 5 minutes.
6. Add the grinded paste, water and wait for one boil.
7. Pressure cook for 8 to 10 whistles if the mutton is hard or if not for less whistles.
8. Now the Yoghurt Mutton Gravy is ready to be served.

Prawn Masala - Iral Thokku


Iral Thokku is a delicious recipe of all prawn receipes. It is one of those non-veg dishes that tastes good with rice especially curd rice.

I wanted to prepare Popcorn Shrimp but my mom wanted Prawn thokku today and one of my friends was also requesting me for the receipe.

I have cooked this with medium and large sized prawns today but this dish's taste adds on when its cooked with small sized prawns.

So here it goes..

Ingredients
Prawns - 250gms (shelled, deveined)
Shallots - 20 (Small Onions, chopped)
Onion - 1 (big, chopped)
Tomatoes - 3 (finely chopped)
Garlic - 10 (chopped)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Sambhar powder - 3 tsp
Water - 1/2 glass
Salt

To Season
Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/4 tsp (broken, not whole)
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp (Sombhu)
Curry leaves - few leaves

Procedure
1. Chop the onion shallots lengthwise into 4 or 5 pieces.
2. Heat Oil in a non-stick pan and add the items given in to season one by one.
3. Add the chopped garlic and fry for 2 minutes.
4. Now add the onions and fry till it gets transparent.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry till it leaves out oil.
6. Now add all the dry powders, salt and fry till raw smell goes off.
7. Add water as required, cover and cook the gravy in medium flame for 5 minutes.
8. Now add the cleaned prawns and fry a minute and let it cook in a medium flame.
9. Add water in between if required and cook the prawns in the masala till it leave out oil.
10. Once it is done, cook it in low flame.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Spicy Pepper Chicken


Spicy Pepper Chicken is an authentic dish from southern parts of Tamilnadu.

The speciality of this dish is that the Pepper is crushed. Pepper plays a major role to get out that hot and spicy taste..Crushed pepper at the end gives out a good flavor and taste.

Dried ground pepper has been used since antiquity for both its flavor and as a medicine. Pepper cures cold, so this curry will be a blessing for those suffering from cold. It is one of the most common spices added to European cuisine and its descendants. It may be found on nearly every dinner table in some parts of the world, often alongside table salt.

Ingredients
Crushed Pepper powder - 2 tsp
Water - 1/4 glass
Lime - 1 small piece
Onion rings - 2 or 3

To Marinate
Chicken - 250 gms
Ginger garlic paste - 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Dhaniya powder - 1 tsp
Crushed Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste

To Season
Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Dry Red Chilli - 1 or 2 (splitted)
Garlic pods - 5 to 10
Curry leaves - few sprigs
Onions - 1 (chopped)

Preparation

1. Marinate the Chicken pieces with ingredients given in to marinate for half an hour.
2. Heat Oil in a non-stick pan and add jeera to it and wait till it splutters and then add dry red chillies, garlic pods, curry leaves.
3. Then add chopped onions and wait for it to get transparent.
4. Now add little pepper powder.
4. Add the marinated chicken and cook it for few minutes.
5. Pour little water and cook it with a lid covered in a medium flame.
6. Once it is half done, cook it open till it gets dry.
7. Add some more crushed pepper and salt if required.
8. Turn off the stove when it leaves out oil.
9. Garnish the Pepper Chicken with lime and onion rings.