Malai mattar paneer

Ingredients:

Paneer - 250 gm

peas - 1/4 cup

Onions - 1

Tomato - 1

Green chillies - 2

Kasturi Methi - 2 tsp

Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

milk- 3 tbsp

Cream - 2 tbsp

bay leaf - 1

butter - 3 tbsp

salt

Preparation:

Place the pan on flame. Add butter and gently roast the paneer cubes. Keep them aside.

Grind the onion, tomato, green chillies, chilli powder and garam masala.

Place the pan on flame, add butter,bay leaf, peas and the paste.

Once the paste is cooked and the oil leaves on the sides, add milk,kasturi methi and salt.

when the gravy is almost done, add paneer cubes and cream. Leave the gravy on flame for about 5 mins and turn off the flame.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

vankaya thenkai kura/Kathirikai curry

I wanted to try this recipe for a long time and had opportunity to make only now. This dish is treated as a delicacy at our house and usually done for all special occasions.

Ingredients:

Brinjals - 6 or 8

curry leaves - 4 or 5

Mustard - 1/2 tsp

salt

oil

To grind :

onions - 2

tomatoes - 2

green chillies - 2

Red chilli powder - 2 tbsp

coriander powder - 2 tbsp

Grated coconut - 3

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

sesame seeds - 2 tsp

Peanuts - 5 tbsp

ginger - 1/2 inch

Garlic - 2 pods

Procedure:

Roast all the ingredients to grind in little oil. (I used gingelly oil to enhance the taste.) and grind them along with salt without adding water.

Slit the brinjals into four pieces.Now stuff the paste into the brinjals.

Place the pan on flame. Pour oil, add mustard and curry leaves. Add the stuffed brinjals along with the paste. Turn the brinjals once they turn soft on the lower side. Now cover the pan and cook them till the brinjals turn soft. Turn off the flame once the oil leaves in the side.

Garnish with coriander. It tastes excellent when served with rice or chapathi.

Cauliflower chops

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower - 2 cups


• Onions - 2


• Tomatoes - 2


• Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp


• Chilli Powder - 1 tsp


• Coriander powder - 2 tsp

• Green chillies - 2


• Butter - 1 tbsp


• Clove - 1


• Cinnamon - 1/2 inch
• Kasturi Methi leaves - 1 tsp


• salt


• Oil

To Grind

• Grated Coconut - 3 tbsp
• Poppy seeds
• Split gram - 2 tbsp

Preparation:

Finely chop onions and tomatoes. Cut cauliflower into big chunks. Slit Green chillies lengthwise. Grind grated coconut, poppy seeds and split gram into a fine paste.

Place the wok on flame. Add butter, oil, ginger garlic paste, clove and cinnamon. Then add onions and cauliflower pieces and saute them for about 5 mins. Once they turn golden brown, add tomatoes and saute them.

Then add chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Once the raw smell leaves dimishes add the ground paste and let this dish on the flame for about 5 mins and then turn turn off the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves.

This is best to be served with chapathi and naan......

Pav Baji

Pav Baji is a great and one of our favourite evening snacks. Its easy to prepare, involves less time to make and yet turns out to be very tasty!

Ingredients:

Potatoes: 3
Tomatoes:4
Onions:2
Mixed Vegetables :3 cups
(Cauliflower, Green peas, Carrot, beans)
Chopped ginger: 1 tsp
Chopped green chillies: 2
Red Chilli powder:1 tsp
Cumin powder:1 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1tsp

Amchur powder: 1 tsp ( for tangy taste)
Garam masala:1/2 tsp
Fennel powder: 1 tsp
Butter: 3 Tbsp

Tomato puree:2 tbsp
Lemon juice: 2 tsp
Salt
Oil

To Garnish:
Chopped coriander
Chopped onions

Preparation: Pressure cook all chopped vegetables for around 10 mins just enough to mash them into coarse consistency. Do not mash them into a smooth paste. Heat the butter in the pan and add onions, green chillies and chopped ginger. Add tomatoes once the onions turn transparent. Then add chilli powder, cumin powder, amchur powder, fennel powder, turmeric powder and salt. Now add the mashed vegetables and saute them along with the water in which they were pressure cooked. Add little butter at this point, if needed. Turn off the flame after about a min or two. Then add garam masala and lemon juice. Slice the Bun (Pav) into two halves and toast with butter till they are golden brown. The pav is best when the baji is garnished with coriander and chopped onions with a dollop of butter on top of it !!!

Muttai kulambu / Guddu Pulusu

Muttai Kulambu/Guddu Pulusu

Ingredients:

Eggs : 4

Onion : 2

Tomato : 2

Green chillies : 2

Chilli Powder : 1 tsp

Coriander powder : 1 tsp

Tamarind paste : 1/2 cup

Garlic : 4 pods

Grated coconut : 3 tbsp

Fenugreek Seeds : 1 tsp

Fennel seeds: 1 tsp

Poppy seeds: 1 tsp

Curry Leaves : 4 or 5

Mustard : 1 tsp

Peppercorn : 1 tsp

Salt

oil

Procedure:

Chop the onion, tomato, garlic and green chillies. Grind fennel seeds, pepper corns, poppy seeds along with grated coconut.

Place the pan on flame, pour oil, add mustard, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, onion, garlic and curry leaves.

Once the onion turns transparent, add tomatoes and salt. Then add chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Once the tomatoes becomes soft, add a cup of water along with tamarind paste. Then add the ground paste. When the raw smell diminishes, break the eggs and pour it into the gravy. Once the eggs are cooked, switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves.

The kolumbu with hot rice can now be served.

Murungakkai PuzhiKolumbu/Munagakaya Kara pulusu

Murungakkai PuzhiKolumbu/Munagakaya Kara pulusu

Ingredients:

Drumstick : 1

Small onions : 10

Onion : 1

tomato : 1

Fenugreek Seeds : 1 tsp

Green chillies: 2

Cumin Seeds : 1 tsp

Chilli Powder : 1 tsp

Coriander Powder: 1 tsp

Garlic : 4 pods

Tamarind Paste : 1/2 cup

Curry leaves : few

salt

Oil

Procedure:

Chop Onions, tomato, Garlic and chillies.

Place the pan on flame. Pour oil , add fenugreek seeds. Add onions, curry leaves and garlic. Once the onions turn transparent, add drumstick and tomatoes. When the tomatoes turn soft, add chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt. Then add 2 cups of water along with the tamarind paste. Let this mixture boil until the oil leaves out on sides.

Vegetable Kurma

Vegetable Kurma

Ingredients:

2 cups Vegetables

1 Onions cut length-wise

1 Onion -to grind to paste

2 Green chilies -to grind to paste

2 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 1/4 tsp Salt

one pinch Turmeric powder

1/2" Cinnamon stick

2 Cloves

2 Cardamom

2 tblsp scrapped coconut

1 tsp Khus-Khus (poppy seeds)or cashewnuts

1/4 tsp (3 cloves) Garlic

1/4 tsp powder (or 1/2" fresh) Ginger

How to make it :

Put a reasonable sized vessel on a stove and then heat oil. Add cinnamon,

cloves and cardamom and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add onions and green

chilies and fry till onions turn brown. Add onion and green chilli paste along with garlic and ginger paste and fry for a minute or so. Add vegetables and fry for about 3 minutes.Then add corainder powder and saute them. Leave the dish covered for few minutes till they become soft.

Let the vegetables and turmeric powder cook. Then grind fennel seeds and scrapped coconut and then add to the paste in the dish. Allow it to boil for about 3 mins. Finally add little curd and boil for about a minute. Kurma is now ready.

We can also add a spoon of lemon juice before serving when kurma is in room temperature.

Baby Corn and Capsicum Gravy

Baby Corn and Capsicum Gravy

Ingredients:

Baby corn - 5 or 6

Capsicum-1

Onion- 3 Medium sized ones

Tomato-2 Medium sized ones

chilli powder-2 tbs

Coriander powder-2 tbs

Garam Masala-1/4 tbs

Tomato puree- 1 sp.

Salt- as per taste

Oil-3 Tbs

Coriander leaves- 2 stalks.

How to make it:

Cut onions, tomatoes and capsicum. Cut baby corn into thin round pieces and boil them along with salt and little turmeric until the baby corn pieces turn soft. Heat oil in the pan and saute the onions. After the onions have turned transparent, add the cut capsicum pieces. Then add the tomatoes and desired amount of salt. Once the vegetables become tender, add the boiled baby corn and add chilli powder, coriander powder and little garam masala. Just saute and leave in moderate flame for about 5 mins. Finally add few coriander leaves on top for flavour.

This makes a good side dish for chapathi and rice...