Mutton curry

Mutton curry
ingredients:

1. Mutton-500 gms
2. Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
3. Bay leaf- 1 no
4. Cardamom pods- 2 nos
5. Cloves- 2 nos
6. Cinnamon-2" piece
7. Ginger ( chopped finely)- 1" piece
8. Garlic (chopped finely)-  5 to 6 cloves
9. Onion ( sliced )- 2 medium 
10. Shallots ( sliced)- 1 cup
11. Green Chilies - 2 to 3  
12. Curry leaves- 1 sprig
13. Coriander powder- 1 tbsp
14. Red chili powder-1/2 to 1 tsp Garam Masala powder-1/2 tsp
15. Fennel powder-1/2 tsp
16. Tomato ( sliced)- 1 small
17. Oil
18. Water
19. Salt to taste

To dry roast and grind

1. Grated coconut-1/2 cup
2. Black pepper corns-1 tsp 

For tempering

1. Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
2. Coconut ( sliced)-3 tbsp
3. Curryleaves- 1 sprig

   .Place the mutton pieces in a pressure cooker along with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder,salt to taste and 1/4 cup water.Cook until mutton is just done.Separate the mutton pieces from the stock and keep aside

• Meanwhile  add grated coconut in a pan and dry roast it until it turns brown..Switch off the stove and add black peppercorns .Grind this to a smooth paste without adding water.Keep aside.
• Heat oil  in a pan add bay leaves,cardamom,cloves and cinnamon.Saute for a few seconds.Now add ginger,garlic, onion,shallots , green chilies and salt to taste.Saute for about 10 to 15 minutes on a medium flame, until it turns golden brown.
• Reduce the flame to low  and add coriander powder,red chili powder,garam masala and fennel powder along with 2 tbsp water.Saute for about 5 minutes or until oil separates.
• Now add the cooked mutton pieces and mix well until combined.Add the coconut paste ,tomato and sufficient quantity of stock.Adjust the salt level at this point.Cover and cook over a medium flame for about 10 to 12 minutes or until gravy is thick enough.
• Now for tempering,heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and let it splutter.Add shallots ,coconut slices and curry leaves .Saute until it turns golden brown.Pour this over the curry.

Cheppankizhangu varuval(Arbi fry)

Cheppankizhangu varuval(Arbi fry)
         Ingredients:                                                                                                                           
Seppan Kizhangu – 4 nos.

Red chili powder – 1 tsp

Jeera powder – 1 – 2tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Garam masala – 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil for pan fry

Method:

• First boil the taro & remove the skin.
• Mix all the spices & salt into the small bowl.
• Add finely sliced taro to the mixture by sprinkle some water.
• Marinate for 10 – 15 minutes in refrigerator (take out from the fridge before frying).
• Add oil to the pan, add jeera & marinated taro by tossing for 5 – 10 minutes on low flame or until the masala gets brown.
• Garnish with fried curry leaves on top.
• Serve it hot & enjoy !
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Dates kozhukattai

  
Ingredients
Rice flour 1 cup
Dates - 10
Jaggery ( powdered ) - 1/4 cup
Rice flour - 1 cup
Salt - as needed
Ghee - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp

Method

1. Boil 3/4 cup of water with salt, oil in a pan. 
2. When water starts boiling, add rice flour, stir.
3. When flour is cooked, cover with a lid, switch off stove.
4. grind the dates.
5. Boil jaggery with 1/4 cup of water in a pan to a syrup.
6. Add dates, ghee, stir well and when contents thicken, swicth off stove.
7. Stuff dates set aside.
8. Take a small ball of dough, and shape into a cup.
9. Place stuffed dates, cover and set aside.
10. Repeat the process.
11. Steam kozhukattais for 10  minutes.

Oats kozhukattai.

INGREDIENTS

• Oats – 1 cup
• Rice flour – 1 cup
• Coconut gratings – 1/2 cup
• Salt – 1/2 teaspoon or as per taste
• For seasoning:
• Oil – 2 teaspoons
• Mustand – 1/2 teaspoon
• Bengal gram dhal – 1 teaspoon
• Onion chopped – one to two tablespoons
• Curry Leaves – few
• Pepper powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Idli Milagai Podi – 1 teaspoon

DIRECTIONS

1. Grind the oats to a fine powder and mix with rice flour. Add salt and coconut gratings. Bring two cups of water to boil and add little by little to the flour and make a soft dough (like chapati dough). Make lemon size balls and keep it aside.
2. In a thick bottomed vessel pour enough water (say about 5 to 6 cups) and bring to boil. When it starts boiling, gently drop 3 to 4 balls. Reduce to heat to medium. Allow to cook for two minutes. Then add another 4 balls. Repeat this till you finish all the balls. Gently stir using a flat spoon. Allow to cook in low heat for five to ten minutes. You can also check one ball with a spoon whether it is cooked well in the middle also. Remove from stove and take out all the balls from the water.
3. Put a kadai on the stove and add oil. When it is hot, add mustard seeds. When it pops up add bengal gram dhal and fry till it turns light brown. Then add chopped onion and curry leaves and fry for a while. Then add the cooked balls and sprinkle the pepper powder and Idli Milagai Podi and mix well.
4. Remove from stove and serve as evening snack.

Sweet kulizhi paniyaram

Sweet kulizhi paniyaram

Paniyaram is a popular South Indian snack item and it is served as evening tiffin or Breakfast

Ingredients:

1 and half cup Idly Batter 
1/4 cup Jaggery Powdered (or)panai vellam
A pinch Cardamom Powder 
2 tbsp Grated Coconut

Method: 

   Take Idly batter in a large mixing bowl.Add the powdered jaggery,cardamom powder,grated coconut and mix well.Heat the paniyaram pan and grease the pan with little oil.

Pour little batter into the each whole in the pan.Then cover and cook for a while.

Open the lid and you can see the small holes on top. The paniyaram also cooked well,now you can turn the other side and again start cooking.

Slowly take out the cooked Paniyaram from the pan and you can see both the side are golden brown.Our Sweet Paniyaram is now ready serve with coconut chutney.

Vangaram Dried Fish fry

Ingredients:

Vangaram Dried Fish ( Any Fish) - 12

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Salt a pinch 

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Lemon Juice - half a lemon + 1 tblspn

Onion - 1 sliced

Curry leaves - 1 spring

Oil for shallow frying

Method:

Take the dry fish and soak them in water for 20 mins. Now clean them well to remove excess salt and dirt.

Mix that with chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, lemon juice.

Heat oil and add in the fish. Fry it for 5 mins on either side till it is cooked and golden.

Now remove them to a plate. In the remaining oil, add in onions, curry leaves and saute for a min.

Squeeze in 1 tblspn of lemon juice and mix well.

Spoon this over the fried fish and serve with rice.

Thaen mittai

Ingredients:

Rice - 1

cup ( I used idli rice)

Whole Urad dal - 1/4 cup

Orange Red Food Colouring as needed

Oil for Deep frying

Sugar - 1 cup

Water - 1/4 cup

Method:

Take rice and dal in a bowl. wash it well, soak them in water for 3 hours. Drain them and add it to a blender, add very little water at a time and make it into a thick smooth paste. It doesn't have to be very smooth, the rice will remain little grainy, that is not a issue. 

Now add some food colouring to it and mix well. The batter should be thick.

Now make the sugar syrup, take sugar and water in a sauce pan. Heat it and Mix it well till the sugar is melted and bring it to boil. Boil it for 5 mins. By which time it will get little syrupy and thick.

Now heat some oil for deep frying.

Dip your fingers in some water, take small portion of the batter and drop in hot oil, fry till crispy and golden. It will take around 3 to 4 mins. Once the outer crust turns very crispy., drain it.

Now dip the fried sweet in sugar syrup and soak it for 2 mins.

Drain it and serve.

Notes:

1)The batter should be thick, so add very little water while grinding.

2)When frying you have to fry till the outer crust gets crispy. So it stays crispy even when soaked in syrup.

3)Leave it only 2 mins in syrup. It will absorb it quickly.

4)You can store this in a air tight container for 2 to 3 days.