Sunday, July 31, 2011

Mutton Masala


"Mutton Masala" is a spicy side dish made out of few dry powders and whole garam masalas. An all time, easy to prepare, simple side dish of Mutton.

I tried this out a couple of weeks ago and thought like I will post it here for my friends.

Ingredients

Onions - 2 (large, finely chopped)
Tomatoes - 2 (large, finely chopped)
Green Chilli - 1 (large, whole)
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp
Corriander Powder - 3 tsp
Pepper Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - for onions alone
Water - 2 small cups

To Marinate
Mutton - 500 gms
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Curd - a small cup
Salt - for marination

For Seasoning
Oil - 2 tbsp
Green Cardamom - 1 (whole)
Cinnamon - 1 (small piece of a stick)
Bay Leaf - 1 (a small leaf)
Cloves - 2
Curry Leaves - a very few

Preparation
(1)Marinate items given in "To Marinate" for 2 to 3 hours.
(2)Heat Oil in a pressure cooker and add the items given in "For Seasoning" one by one.
(3)Add the chopped onions and salt, saute it for a few minutes.
(4)Add the chopped tomatoes and green chilli.
(5)Saute it once in a while till you find the oil oozing out.
(6)When you see the oil oozing out, add the marinated mutton.
(7)Add all the dry powders and saute it for few minutes.
(8)Add 2 small cups of water and pressure cook it for few whistles.
(9)If you find it as a hard meat, cook for few more extra whistles and adjust your water level accordingly.
(10)Once the pressure is released, transfer it to a serving dish.
(11)Spicy Mutton Masala is ready to be served hot.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Methi Chicken or Methi Murgh

"Dry Methi Chicken" or "Sukka Methi Murgh" is a delicious dish that would go well with your Naans, Rotis, Phulkas and even with your Rice.

Methi Chicken is a Chicken Curry cooked with fenugreek leaves, dried or the fresh ones. Here I have used dried ones.

Fenugreek leaves gives a sour taste to the dish. To add on; the thick curd, lime juice and tomatoes gives a tangy flavor to the dish.

Ingredients
Chicken - 750 gms
Onion - 2 (Finely chopped as small cubes)
Tomato - 1 (Finely chopped as small cubes)
Green Chilli - 1 (whole, a small cut on the top)
Dried Fenugreek Leaves - a small cup
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - for Onions alone

To Marinate
Thick Curd - a cup
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp
Corriander Powder - 1 tbsp
Cumin Powder - 2 tsp
Lime Juice - 1 tbsp
Salt - as required

To Season
Oil - 3 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Dried Fenugreek Leaves - 2 tsp

To Grind
Tomatoes - 1
Cashews - 6 or 7

Preparation
(1) Add the items given in To Marinate to the washed Chicken.
(2) Keep it aside for half-an-hour.
(3) Heat a non-stick kadai or pan and add oil to it.
(4) Add cumin seeds to the hot oil and allow it to splutter.
(5) To the cumin seeds, add few dried fenugreek leaves.
(6) Now add the chopped onions and little salt.
(7) Saute the onions till it gets transparent.
(8) Now add the tomatoes, green chilli.
(9) Saute and wait till it leaves out oil.
(10) Add the finely grinded paste and reduce the flame to medium.
(11) When you find the oil oozing out, add the marinated chicken.
(12) Cover the pan with its lid and cook for 5 min.
(13) Add the dried fenugreek leaves, garam masala.
(14) Saute the gravy for a few minutes.
(15) Add a cup of water to the gravy.
(16) Cover and cook for 5 min in a high flame.
(17) Reduce the flame to medium and saute it a minute.
(18) Cover and cook for another 15 min in a medium flame.
(19) When oil oozes out, let it cook for another 5 min in low flame.
(20) Transfer the Methi Chicken to a serving dish.
(21) Serve it hot with Onion and Lime slices.

Nethili Masala

"Nethili Masala" is an authentic dish from South Indian Kitchen. This would go well with your curd rice and rasam rice.

Anchovies are called "Nethili" in Tamil. These are tiny fishes edible both in fresh and dried form. The dried ones are called "Nethili Karuvaadu" which we use to prepare Nethili Fry or Nethili Kuzhambu.

A few weeks before we had got this smaller Nethili dried fish from one of the Chennai's busiest places. Generally this dried fish would have loads and loads of salt in it but this time we got a saltless dried fish.

Ingredients
Nethili or Anchovies - a cup (smaller Nethili's)
Onions - 2 (finely chopped)
Tomatoes - 2 (finely chopped)
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Fennel Seeds Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli Corriander Powder - 2 tsp (Homemade powder)
Salt - to taste

To Season
Oil - 1.5 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dhal - 1/2 tsp
Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - few sprigs
Garlic pods - 10 (chopped)

Preparation
(1) Rinse the dried anchovies and drain the water.
(2) Pour Oil in a hot pan add the item given in To Season one-by-one.
(3) Add the chopped onions and little salt for the onions to get cooked.
(4) Saute till the onions turns transaparent.
(5) Now add the finely chopped tomatoes.
(6) Cook till it leaves out oil.
(7) Add all the dried powders and salt.
(8) Reduce the flame and saute till the raw smell is off.
(8) Pour little water to it and cook till oil separates out.
(9) Add the washed anchovies and cook till gets dry.