Vendakkai More kulambu

Ingredients:

• 15 Lady Fingers
• ½ cup Coconut (shredded)
• ½ cup Curd
• 5 Green chilies (chopped)
• 4 Flakes Ginger (grated)
• 1 tsp Cumin Seed Powder
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

Method:

• Wash lady’s finger and slit it properly into 2” long pieces.
• Heat the oil in a pan over medium flame and fry okra pieces separately.
• Add salt to the fried lady’s finger. Keep it aside.
• Heat some oil in the same pan and add mustard seeds and curry leaves to it. When the seeds start spluttering, add the fried lady’s finger to it.
• Add turmeric powder to the above and stir it well.
• Mix cumin seeds, coconut, chilies and ginger to make a mixture in a bowl.
• Pour the mixture, some water and salt to the lady’s finger in the pan. Boil it for 15 minutes and then turn off the flame. Allow it to cool.
• Add curd to the above-made recipe and mix it well.
• Vendakkai More Kulambu is ready to serve.

Chow Chow Koottu

Ingredients:

• 1 Chow Chow (Medium)
• 1 Onion
• 1/2 Cup moong dal
• 1 tsp Urad dal
• 1 tbsp Coconut (grated)
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• Few green curry leaves
• 1/4 tsp Chilli powder
• Oil for frying
• Salt to taste

Method:
• Peel the chow chow and cut into pieces.
• Cut the onions and green chillies.
• Mix moong dal and little amount of water.
• Add turmeric powder.
• Cook it in a pressure cooker for 5 minutes.
• Mix onions, green chillies and chow chow pieces.
• Pour 1/2 Cup water.
• Boil the mixture till chow chow pieces turn soft.
• Now add turmeric powder and salt.
• Mix cooked moong dal and add chilli powder.
• Boil it over medium flame till the mixture turns thick.
• Keep it aside.
• Heat the oil.
• Add cumin seeds, green curry leaves and urad dal.
• AlloW them to splutter.
• Pour it on cooked chow chow mixture.
• Stir it.
• Adorn with grated coconut.

Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

10 ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 cup Burgundy wine
1 bay leaf
2 stalks celery
2 tablespoons tomato paste

Method:
1.Bring a pot of water to a boil. Have ready a large bowl of iced water. Plunge whole tomatoes in boiling water until skin starts to peel, 1 minute.

2.Remove with slotted spoon and place in ice bath. Let rest until cool enough to handle, then remove peel and squeeze out seeds.

3.Chop 8 tomatoes and puree in blender or food processor. Chop remaining two tomatoes and set aside.
4.In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook onion, bell pepper, carrot and garlic in oil and butter until onion starts to soften, 5 minutes. Pour in pureed tomatoes.

5. Stir in chopped tomato, basil, Italian seasoning and wine. Place bay leaf and whole celery stalks in pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 2 hours.

6. Stir in tomato paste and simmer an additional 2 hours.

7. Discard bay leaf and celery and serve.

Red Kidney Bean Curry(Rajma Curry)

Ingredients:

1 cup Rajma (Soaked overnight)

3 medium size onions

3 tomatos

5 cloves of garlic

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cumin seeds

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder

Vegetable oil

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp chicken masala(optional)

1 tsp garam masala

Method:

1.Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add some cumin seeds and bay leaf. Add onion and fry till it becomes golden brown.

2.Then add tomatoes and keep stirring it for 3 to 4 minutes.

3.Take a bowl and put ginger and garlic paste, coriander powder, chili powder, garam masala, and chicken masala into it. Add salt to taste.

4.Then add turmeric powder and add some water to it and mix it well.

5.Take a pressure cooker and put all of this mixture into it. Fry till it turns golden brown and oil gets separated from the mixture. Ensure that you do this on a low flame.

6. Then add one crushed black cardamom and Cinnamon. Stir it well for 2 minutes.

7.Now put Rajma and add 1/2 glass of water to it. Close the cooker and cook for 20 minutes in a low flame.

8. Once the ingredients are cooked remove the cooker from heat and allow it to cool naturally.

9.After some time open the cooker and add some dry fenugreek and stir.

10. Rajma curry is now ready to be served hot with rice .

Chilli potatos

Ingredients:
250 gms potatoes sliced into long pieces.
2 Capsicum cut into square pieces
2 Onions cut into square pieces
3-4 Green Chillies finely chopped
3-4 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
A small piece of Ginger finely chopped
3/4 cup Corn flour (Maida can also be used)2
tsp Oil
Soya Sauce
Tomato Sauce
Chilies Sauce
Ajinomoto (Chinese Salt)

Method :
Mix the Corn flour with water, 1 tsp Soya Sauce, 1 tsp Chilli sauce and 1 tsp Tomato Sauce in a small bowl. Add some salt or, Ajinomoto as per your preference. Just ensure that the batter is thick enough to coat the potatoes.
Put the potato pieces into the bowl 3-4 pieces at a time and properly coat the potatoes with the batter.
Heat oil in a Kadai, and fry each of the coated potato pieces till crispy and brown.
Drain the potatoes and keep it aside.
In the kadai heat about 2-3 tsp of oil. Add the chopped chillies, garlic and ginger to it. Add the onion and Capsicum into it and fry for some time, about 3-4 minute. Do not let it over-fry or, turn into brown.
Add water to it and 1 tsp each of Soya sauce, Tomato sauce and Chili sauce along with a pinch of Ajinomoto.
Put the fried potato pieces into the mixture and let it cook for some time till the potatoes turns tender.
Serve hot and enjoy the Indianized-Chinese food called potato chilli.

Crispy Bitter gourd

Ingredients:

Bittergourd-4nos

Gram flour-2 to 4 tsp

Rice flour-2 to 4 tsp

Salt

Oil for frying

Chilli Powder-1tsp

Method:

Thinly slice the bitter gourd in to rings.

In a wide Bowl,add bitter gourd.Sprinkle gram flour and rice flour.

Then add salt and chilli too.

Mix it well with own water,dont add any water.

Now heat Oil,when it smoky hot,maintain the heat.

Fry few bitter gourd at a time till crispy.

Serve Hot.

BitterGourd Thokku

Ingredients:

Bitter gourd-1/4kg

large onion-1/4kg

Turmaric Powder-1/4 tsp

Chilli Powder -1tsp

Mustard -1/4 tsp

Salt

oil

Coriander leaves

Method:

Chop bitter gourd finly and salt it.After a while squeeze the water away.

Finely chop onions and set aside

In a wide a pan,heat oil.Spultter mustards in it.

Followed by bitter gourd,onions,salt,turmaric and chilli powder.

Cover and cook until they are done.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Chettinadu masala Siyam

Ingredients:

Raw rice, - 21/2 cups

Urad dhal - 11/2 cup

Grated coconut - few tbsp

Chopped onion - 1 med size

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - a few

Method:
1.Soak rice and dhal together for few hours and grind it to form a smooth batter
2.Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, and fry curry leaves ,onions and coconut until light brown or raw smell disappears.
3.Add this to the batter, add salt and mix well.
4.Heat oil for deep frying in kadai and make small balls out of this batter and deep fry in batches

Chettinadu Vegetable pirattal

Ingredients:
2 Potatoes
2 Carrots

1 Onion

1 Tomato

1/2 Cup peas

1/2 Cup coconut (shredded)

2 Garlic flakes

1 tsp Fennel seeds

1/2 tsp Poppy seeds

5 Red chillies

1/2 tsp Red chilli powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tbsp Roasted gram

Green curry leaves

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

Method:

Grind fennel seeds, poppy seeds, gram, red chillies and coconut to make a paste.
Peel the potatoes and carrots.
Cut potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and onion into pieces.
Boil carrots and potatoes for 10 minutes one by one.
Drain all the water.
Heat the oil and add green curry leaves.
Add onions and tomatoes.
Mix peas and stir it.
Add boiled carrots and potatoes.
Mix turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt.
Now add grinded paste.
Turn over the mixture well.
Cook till the mixture turns thick like gravy.
Vegetable Pirattal is ready.

Chettinadu Cauliflower curry

Ingredients:

230 ml - coconut milk

3 - baby potatoes, unpeeled and quartered

2 - tomatoes, peeled and chopped

2 - medium onions, sliced

1 1/2 tsp - black peppercorns

1 tsp - fennel seeds

3 - large dried red chillies

3 tbsp - ghee

1 1/2 tbsp - grated ginger

1/2 tsp - hot red chilli powder

1/2 tsp - grated nutmeg

1/2 cup - tomato paste

5 - curry leaves

1 1/2 tbsp - lime juice

1 - medium cauliflower washed, stems removed and cut into medium florets

Method:

Coarsely grind the peppercorns, fennel seeds, red chillies and poppy seeds.
Heat ghee in a large work. Saute onions until light brown.
Add ginger, chill powder, nutmeg and ground spices, stir and cook until it releases its aroma.
Add cauliflower florets and stir fry for 3-4 mins.
Add all the remaining ingredients except cauliflower.
Add the cauliflower when the potato is half cooked.
Simmer and cook until the sauce thickens and the cauliflower is cooked crisp-tender.
Do not overcook the cauliflower.

Mushroom Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 4 Toasted buns

• 4 Portobello mushroom

• 2 Garlic flakes

• 4 Leaf lettuces

• 1/2 Cup vinegar

• Mozzarella cheese

• 1 tsp Pepper

• Salt to taste

Method:

•Chop the garlic flakes.
•Mix olive oil, chopped garlic, vinegar,pepper and salt.
•Marinate Mushrooms in this mixture for 2 hours.
•Grill the marinated mushrooms till they turn soft.
•Spread chesse slice on buns.
•Top with a mushroom and lettuce leaf.
•Top with another bun.
•Grilled Mushroom Sandwich is ready.

Mushroom Chilli

Ingredients:

• 400 gm Button Mushrooms

• 200 gm Capsicum

• 2 medium Onions

• 2 cm Ginger

• 6 flakes Garlic

• 4 tbsp Oil

• 1 tsp Chili Powder

• 2 tsp Dark Soya Sauce

• 2 tsp Vinegar

• 1 tbsp Corn Flour

• 1 cup Water

• Salt to taste

Method:

•Cut mushrooms into halves.
•Cut capsicums into halves, remove the seeds and cut into thin strips.
•Grind onion, ginger and garlic to a paste.
•Heat 4 tbsp of oil. Fry the ground paste.
•Add chili powder and ¼ cup water. Simmer till almost dry.
•Add capsicums, mushrooms and salt. Cover and cook on low flame till vegetables turn tender crisp.
•Add Soya sauce and vinegar. Mix corn flour with water and add.
•Bring to a boil, simmer for 1 minute.
•Serve Chili Mushroom hot with noodles or fried rice.

Mushroom Chettinadu

Ingredients:

12-14 Mushrooms, roughly chopped (I used Button Mushrooms)
¾-1 tsp Tamarind Paste
2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Channa Dal (Split Yellow Peas)
3-4 Dry Red Chillies, halved (Adjust acc to taste)
1 tsp Black Pepper Corns (Adjust acc to taste)
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
Few Curry Leaves
1 tsp Oil

Method:

Wash, pat dry and chop mushrooms into bite sized pieces and keep them aside.
Dry roast channa dal, dry red chillies and peppercorns in a skillet on a low-medium flame till dal turns golden brown (Approx 2 mins).
Cool and grind them to smooth powder and keep aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
When they start to pop and splutter, add curry leaves and sauté for few seconds.
Now mix in chopped mushrooms and sauté on medium heat.
When they start to sweat add salt to taste, ground spice powder and mix well.
Sauté gently on a medium flame for 1-2 minutes making sure that spice mixture doesn’t stick to bottom of the pan.
Add tamarind paste and sprinkle little water if necessary and mix well. Cook for another minute or so on medium flame sautéing in between.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Chapatti .

Bittergourd Curry

Ingredients:

Bittergourd (long variety) – 2 Nos

Tamarind – a small lemon size

Tomato – 2 (medium size)

Jaggery powdered – ½ cup

Red Chilli Powder – 1 teaspoon

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Asafotida Powder – ¼ teaspoon

Oil – 1 tablespoon

Mustard – ½ teaspoon

Jeera – 1 teaspoon

Fenugreek – ½ teaspoon

Curry Leaves - few

Salt – 1 teaspoon or as per taste

Method:

Soak tamarind in water and squeeze out thick juice of about one cup.

Cut the tomatos into big pieces and grind it to a fine puree.Slit the bittergourd, remove seeds and cut it into small pieces.

Put the bittergourd pieces in a vessel and add half cup water and cook on medium flame till it is soft.

Add tamarind juice and tomato puree, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and stir well. Allow to boil.In a kadai put the oil and when it is hot add mustard.

When it pops up add jeera, fenugreek, asafotida powder, curry leaves and fry. (take care not to burn the fenugreek).

Add the cooked bittergourd-tamarind gravy to it and stir well. Allow to cook till it is semi liquid. Finally add jaggery powder and mix well. Let it cook for two to three minutes on low flame.

Then remove.

Coconut Rice

Ingredients:

Raw Rice – 1 cup

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Red chilly - 2

Green chilli – 4

Bengal gram dhal – 1 teaspoon

Asafotida – ¼ teaspoon

Cashew nut – 1 tablespoon

Coconut Oil – 4 or 5 teaspoons

Mustard – Half teaspoon

Curry leaves – few

Salt – 1 teaspoon or as per taste

Method:

Cook rice till soft (But not mushy). Put it in a plate or broad vessel and spread it.

Sprinkle one or two teaspoon oil over it.In a kadai put the oil and when it is hot add mustard. When it pops up, add Bengal gram dhal and fry till it turns light brown.

Add cashew nuts, chillies, asafetida powder and curry leaves and fry for a while.

Now add coconut gratings and fry for two/three seconds.

Add cooked rice to this and mix gently.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Brinji Rice

Ingredients:

Raw Rice – 2 cups

Onion – 2

Tomato - 2

Green Chillies - 4

Fresh Ginger – a small piece

Garlic – 8 cloves

Green Peas – ¼ cup

Carrot – 1

Beans – 4

Potato – 1

Cauliflower florets – ½ cup

Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder – 2 teaspoon

Turmeric powder – a pinch

Ghee or Oil – 8 tablespoon

Bay Leaves – few

Cloves – 4

Cinnamon – few sticks

Salt – 1 teaspoon

Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon

Coriander leaves - few

Method:

Wash and soak the rice for 15 minutes. Cut the onion lengthwise. Slit the green chilli lengthwise. Chop the tomato, garlic and ginger.

Cut the vegetables into medium size pieces.In a pressure cooker put the ghee or oil and when it is hot, add bay leaves, cloves and cinnamon sticks.

Fry little and add onion, green chillies, garlic and ginger and fry till the onion turns transparent. Add tomato and fry for a while.

Add chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt. Stir well. Add the vegetables. Mix well. Now add the soaked rice and fry till it is hot to touch.

Add 4 cups of water and pressure cook for two whistles.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Coriander Leaves rice

Ingredients:

Rice – 1 cup

Fresh Coriander Leaves – 1 small bunch

Green Chillies – 2 Nos

Fresh Ginger – a small piece

Tamarind – a small gooseberry size

Urad Dhal – 1 tablespoon

Oil – 1 tablespoon

Mustard – ½ teaspoon

Salt – 1 teaspoon or as per taste

Method:

Cook the rice till soft (not too soft).In a kadai put one teaspoon oil and fry urad dhal till it becomes light brown.

Add green chillies split into two and ginger chopped and fry for a while. Add tamarind also and fry everything together. Cool it. Grind this to a coarse paste.

Before removing add coriander leaves chopped to this and grind it to a fine paste. In the Kadai put the remaining oil and when it is hot add mustard.

When it pops up, reduce the heat and add cooked rice, salt, ground coriander paste. Mix well keeping the flame to low. Once everything blended well, remove it.

Curry Leaves Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup raw rice

To roast:

A handful of fresh curry leaves

2 red chillies

1 tablespoon Bengal gram dhal

1 teaspoon Urad dhal

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon asafetida powder

1 tablespoon coconut gratings

For seasoning:

5 cashew nuts broken into small bits

2 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

Few curry leaves

1 teaspoon salt

Method:

Cook the rice till soft.In a kadai, put one teaspoon oil and roast Bengal gram dhal, urad dhal, red chillies, black pepper and asafetida.

Now add the curry leaves and coconut and fry for a while on low flame. Let it cool. Then Grind this to a powder.In a kadai put the remaining oil and when it is hot add the mustard seeds.

When it pops up, add cashew nuts and curry leaves and then add the cooked rice.

Keep the flame low. Add curry leaves powder along with salt to the rice and mix well.

Mint Rice

Ingredients:

Raw Rice - 2 cups

Coconut Milk - 1 cup

Big Onion - 1

Lemon Juice - 1 teaspoon

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Salt - 1 teaspoon or as per taste

To grind:

Pudina leaves - 2 cups

Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

Green chillies - 2 to 3 Nos

Fresh ginger - 1" piece

Garlic cloves - 2 Nos

For seasoning:

Oil - 4 tablespoon

Cinnamon stick - 2 small pieces

Cloves - 2 Nos

Cardamon - 2 Nos

Bay Leaf - A small piece

Fennel seeds (Sombu) - 1 teaspoon

Method:

Wash and soak the rice in water for about 15 minutes.Chop the onion.Grind Pudina, Coriander leaves, green chillies, ginger and garlic to a fine paste.Put a pressure cooker on the stove and add the oil.

When it is hot add cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf and fennel seeds. Add chopped onion and fry till it become transparant.

Add Pudina leaves paste, turmeric powder and salt and stir fry for few minutes. Drain the excess water from rice and add to the seasoning. Mix well. Add coconut milk and three cups of water (Total measure of coconut milk and water together should be four cups).

Stir once again and close with lid.Pressure cook it for three whistles.When it is cooled, add lemon juice and mix gently. Garnish with few fresh Mint leaves and lemon wedges.Serve hot

Jeera Rice

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 2 cups

Green Peas – 1 cup

Jeera – 2 teaspoons

Bay leaves – few

Ghee – 4 tablespoons

Salt – 1 teaspoon or as per taste

Method:

Soak rice in water for about 15 minutes.

In a pressure cooker put the ghee and heat it.

Add jeera and bay leaves and fry for a while. Then add green peas and stir fry for few seconds. And then add soaked rice and 4 cups of water along with salt.

Mix well. Close with lid and pressure cook for two to three whistles.