Mutton Curry

Hi friends..Wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year!! Hope 2011 brings lots of happiness and joy to everyone's life...Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too !
I was away on a 1 month vacation to India! We had a stopover at Dubai for 3 days to visit my sister and family. We visited Lakshmi and her cute baby boy too. They both are doing good. Overall we had a great time but the trip was so hectic that I guess I will be relaxing for the next two months. Lots of things to catch up now!
Though I had been super busy in Kerala, I managed to photograph a few of my mother’s and MIL’s nadan recipes which I will post over time. And today I am posting a nadan mutton curry recipe which is a personal favorite of mine and definitely you would love it too….

Ingredients

1. Mutton Curry - 1/2 kg, cubed
2. Pearl onions - 1/4 kg
3. Ginger - 3 inch piece, roughly chopped
4. Garlic - 10 small cloves
5. Green chillies - 2
6. Tomato - 1 small, chopped
7. Curry leaves - 1 - 2 sprigs
8. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Chilly powder - 1 tbsp
10. Coriander powder - 1.5 tbsp
11. Pepper powder - 2 tsp
12. Garam masala powder - 2.5 tsp
13. Mustard - 1/2 tsp
14. Salt - To taste
15. Coconut oil -  1.5 tbsp

Method

1. Crush the pearl onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies in a mixer.

2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker. Add in the crushed mixture and saute until they turn light brown. Add the tomatoes and saute for a few minutes. Now add the turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder, pepper powder and garam masala powder. Stir for a few seconds. Add the mutton pieces and enough salt. Stir for 1 - 2 minutes and add enough water. Cover with the lid and pressure cook for about 2 - 3 whistles. Bring down the heat and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Open the pressure cooker when the pressure releases and taste check for salt. Add 2 pinches of garam masala and mix well.

3. Heat oil in a small pan and splutter mustards. Throw in a few curry leaves and pour this tadka over the curry. Keep aside for 30 minutes before serving. Serve hot with chapathi, rice, appam, paratha or even dosa/idli.

 

Tips:

 

1) You can add around 1/2 cup coconut milk to this curry for an extra taste. Add it after opening the pressure cooker and heat at low flame for around  5 mts. Switch off.

 

2) You can replace the pearl onions with two medium sized onions.

Chilly Chicken

Ingredients

For the batter

1. Boneless chicken, preferably thighs - Around 400 - 500 gm, cubed
2. Corn flour - 1 tbsp (I used Argo corn starch)
3. Egg - 1
4. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Salt - As required

For the gravy

1. Onion - 1 small, diced
2. Bell pepper - 1 cup, diced
3. Garlic - 1.5 tbsp, finely chopped
4. Green chillies - 4, slit
5. Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
6. Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Spring onions - 1 + 1 tbsp
8. Cashews - 10 - 12
9. Chili-garlic sauce - 2.5 tbsp
10. Soy sauce - 1.5 tbsp
11. Vinegar - 2 tsp
12. Sugar - 2 - 3 pinches
13. Corn flour - 1 tbsp mixed in 1/4 - 1/2 cup water, for thickening the gravy ( I used Argo corn starch)
14. Chicken Stock / Water - 2 - 2.5 cups
15. Salt - To taste
16. Vegetable oil - For deep frying
17. Vegetable oil / sesame oil - 1 tbsp

Method

1. Clean, wash and cube the chicken thighs. Combine them with 1 tbsp corn flour, beaten egg, pepper powder and salt. Deep fry in oil until brown, at medium heat. Drain on to a paper towel. Keep aside.

 

2. Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil or vegetable oil (you can use the oil that was used for deep-frying the chicken pieces) in a wide pan at medium heat. Stir in the chopped garlic, green chillies. Saute for two seconds and add the cashew nuts. Saute for a few seconds and add the diced onion. Saute for a few seconds and add the diced bell pepper and 1 tbsp spring onions. Saute for a few seconds and add 1/4 tsp chilly powder, 1/4 tsp pepper powder, 2 - 3 pinches of sugar, chili-garlic sauce and soy sauce. Add 2 - 2.5 cups of chicken stock / water.

 

3. Bring it to a boil and add the vinegar and fried chicken pieces. Mix well and cook for a few more minutes. Check for salt. Add the corn flour dissolved in water little by little, stirring well, till the sauce thickens. I used around 1.5 - 2 tbsp. If you want a really thick gravy simmer it for a few more minutes. Switch off. Garnish with chopped spring onions. Serve hot with fried rice or noodles.

 

 

 

Notes:

 

1) If you want dry chilly chicken, you need not add corn flour in water. Or else you can boil the gravy until the chicken gets coated well with the sauces.

2) You can substitute chili-garlic sauce with green chilly sauce or red chilly sauce.

 

Recipe adapted from VahRehVah.com

Chicken Pulav

 

This is for all those people who love biryani, but don't have time for the elaborate process involved in making it. Sometimes we might just wish, how nice it would be to have biryani, but feel lazy to make it and end up buying it from a restaurant and would say...oohhhh this is not the biryani I wished for! So this recipe is dedicated to all those people, for this is the next best alternative to chicken biriyani. This pulav uses almost the same ingredients as a biriyani, only the method is entirely different. So be prepared to taste the difference!

Ingredients

1. Chicken - 2.5 chicken breasts or around 1/2 kg (You can also use chicken thighs or whole chicken)
2. Basmati rice - 2 cups
3. Water - 4.5 cup
4. Onion - 1 medium, thinly sliced
5. Tomato - 1, chopped fine
6. Mint leaves - 1/2cup, chopped
7. Cilantro - 1/4 cup, chopped
8. Ginger - garlic paste - 1 tsp
9. Ginger - 1 inch, roughly chopped
10. Garlic - 2 - 3, crushed 
11. Green chillies - 3 - 4 slit
12. Chilli powder - 1 tsp
13. Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
14. Shahi jeera/ black cumin seeds - 1/2  tsp (optional)
15. Whole spices -  Cinnamon stick - 2, cloves - 5 -6, cardamom - 3-4, bay leaves - 2-3, whole pepper corns- 5-6
16. Cashews - 2 tbsp, to garnish
17. Raisins - 2 tbsp, to garnish
18. Oil / ghee - 3 tbsp
19. Salt - To taste

Method

1. Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes. Drain water and keep aside.

2. Clean and cut the chicken to small pieces. Marinate them with around 1/2 tsp salt for at least 30 minutes. This step is optional.

3. Boil 4.5 cups of water in a vessel adding enough salt, roughly chopped ginger, crushed garlic and half of the whole spices mentioned under the ingredients. Add the chicken pieces and cook until just tender (for around 8 - 10 minutes). Take out the chicken pieces with a slotted spoon. Keep aside. Reserve the stock for cooking rice. Discard the whole spices along with the chopped ginger and garlic. You can pass the stock through a fine-meshed sieve if you want.

 

4. Heat ghee / oil ( 2 - 3 tbsp) in a pan at medium heat. Fry cashews until golden brown. Drain on to a paper towel. Now fry the raisins until they get plump. Drain on to a paper towel. Finally fry sliced onion until golden brown. Drain 2 tbsp of fried onion onto a paper towel. Keep aside for garnishing.  Now add the remaining whole spices to the pan. Mix well and saute for a few seconds. Add ginger-garlic paste, green chillies. Saute until their raw smell is gone. Now add the chopped tomato pieces. Saute for 2 minutes and add chilly powder, shaji jeera, little salt and garam masala powder. Mix well and add the chicken pieces, chopped cilantro and mint. Saute until the chicken pieces are lightly browned or for around 8  - 10 minutes. Add the strained rice and mix well. Saute for another 2-3 minutes.

 

 

 

5. Now add 4.25 cups of chicken stock to the pan. Give it a mix. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook at medium flame until the liquid gets absorbed. I prefer cooking it in a pressure cooker. Pressure cooker procedure - Transfer the whole mixture to a pressure cooker after step 4 and add 4.25 cups of the chicken stock to it. Give it a mix. Let the mixture come to a boil. Close the pressure cooker with its lid and cook at medium heat. When steam starts coming out continuously and profusely from the vent, put the pressure cooker weight and switch off the stove. Open the pressure cooker when the pressure releases or after 12 - 15 minutes. The rice will be perfectly cooked. Fluff the rice with a fork and transfer immediately to a wide serving bowl. Garnish with fried onion, cashews, raisins, 1 - 2 tbsp chopped cilantro and mint leaves. Serve hot along with raita.

 

Beef Vindaloo

 

      Vindaloo or vindalu (Konkani) is a dish originally from Goa, India. The term vindaloo derives from the Portugese dish "Carne de Vinha d' Alhos", which is a dish of meat, usually pork, with wine and garlic. The dish evolved into the vindaloo curry dish when it received the Goan treatment of adding plentiful amounts of traditional spice and using malt vinegar instead of red wine. Alternate terms are vindalho or vindallo. Restaurants often serve this dish with chicken or lamb sometimes mixed with potatoes. Traditional vindaloos do not include potatoes, the discrepancy arising because the word "aloo" means "potato" in Hindi.

    Vindaloo is a popular dish in many parts of India. The dish has gained popularity in Britain, Germany, the Middle East, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, where it is almost universally featured on Indian restaurant menus. The Vindaloo served in western restaurants is really just a version of the standard "medium" restaurant curry with additional chilli and including potatoes. It is one of the hottest dishes available on the menu where it is served.

Source - Wikipedia

Ingredients

1. Lean stewing beef - 2 lb / 900 gm, cut into 1 inch cubes 
2. Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp / 15 ml
3. Dry red chillies - 4
4. Black pepper corns - 1 tsp
5. Seeds from 5 green cardamom pods
6. Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
7. Black mustard seeds - 1 tsp
8. Brown sugar - 1/2 tsp 
9. White wine vinegar - 4 tbsp
10. Oil - 2 tbsp
11. Onion - 1 large, finely chopped
12. Ginger - 1 inch piece
13. Garlic - 7 - 8 cloves
14. Coriander powder - 2 tsp
15. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
16. Pepper powder - 1 tsp
17. Salt - To taste

Method

1. Clean the beef stew pieces. Marinate them with 1 tsp pepper powder and enough salt.

2. Put the cumin seeds, dry red chillies, pepper corns, cardamom seeds and mustard seeds into a spice grinder (or a mortar and pestle) and grind to a fine powder.

 

3. Spoon into a bowl, add the sugar and white wine vinegar and mix to a thin paste. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large heavy pan and fry the chopped onion for about 10 - 15 minutes adding little salt.

4. Put the onions and spice mixture into a blender or food processor and grind to a coarse paste.

 

4. Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan and fry the meat cubes for about 10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon.

  

5. Add the ginger and garlic to the oil remaining in the pan(you can add a little more oil if you want, the pan will still have the meat juices that oozed out from the beef, that’s okay). Fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the coriander powder and turmeric powder. Fry for a further 2 minutes.

6. Add the spice and onion paste and fry for about 5 minutes.

7. Return the beef cubes to the pan with 1 1/4 cup / 300 ml water. Cover and simmer for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender.Remember to stir in between so that the gravy would not stick to the bottom of the pan. Serve with plain rice, jeera rice or chapatis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recipe : Best Ever Indian Cookbook

Chilly Fish

Ingredients

1. King fish  - 1/2 kg or around 3 fillets, cubed ( I used tilapia, you can use any fish of your choice)

2. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

3. Soy sauce - 1 tsp

4. Salt - To taste

Batter

5. Corn flour - 1/4 cup

6. All purpose flour / maida - 1/4 cup

7. Water - 2 tbsp - 4 tbsp ( For a thick batter)

8. Refined  oil - To deep fry

For the sauce

9. Onion - 2 medium, cubed

10. Garlic - 2 tsp

11. Green chillies - 2-3 chopped fine

12. Bell pepper - 1 medium, cubed

13. Celery - 1/4 cup, chopped fine

14. Chilly powder - 1.5 tsp

15. Chilly sauce - 3 tbsp (I didn’t have it so I added red chilly sauce)

16. Soy sauce - 1 tsp

17. Water or stock - 2 cup (I used vegetable stock)

18. Sugar - 1/2 tsp

19. Corn flour - 1 tsp mixed in 2-3 tbsp water

20. Salt - To taste

21. Oil - 2 tbsp

22. Spring onion chopped - To garnish

Method

1. Clean and cut the fish pieces to small cubes ( to 20 pieces or so). Marinate it with 1/2 tsp pepper powder, salt(soy sauce will be a little salty so adjust the salt accordingly) and 1 tsp soy sauce for at least 1 hr.

2. In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup corn flour, 1/4 cup maida and a little salt. Add 1 beaten egg to it and then add water gradually. Mix well, remove any lumps and make a thick batter out of it.

3. Heat oil in a deep pan. Dip the fish pieces in the batter and deep fry until golden brown flipping  the fish pieces to the other side in between. It would not take more than 15 mts at medium heat. Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry them in two batches or so. Drain the fish pieces on to a paper towel.

4. Heat 2 tbsp of the fried oil in a wide pan at medium high heat. Add chopped garlic, saute for a few seconds. Then add chopped celery. Again saute for a few seconds and add the chopped onion and a little salt. Saute until the onion turns translucent, then add the cubed bell pepper. Saute for a few seconds and add 1.5 tsp chilly powder. Mix well.

5. Add 2 cups chicken stock/vegetable stock or water. Bring it to a boil and add 3 tbsp chilly sauce and 1/2 tsp sugar. Taste check for salt. When the stock reduces to almost 1.5 cup,  add the fish pieces and mix well. Again bring it to a boil. To thicken the sauce add a few tea spoons of corn flour mixed in water. Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes and switch off. Garnish with spring onion. This goes really well with fried rice and noodles.

 

 

 

Recipe Courtesy - Lakshmi Nair (Magic Oven)

Mixed Noodles

 

Ingredients

1. Noodles - Around 200 gm (You can use any variety of noodles)
2. Chicken breast - one and half, cooked and sliced to strips
3. Shrimp - A handful (I used the frozen cooked ones)
4. Ginger - 1 tsp minced
5. Garlic - 1 tsp minced
6. Green and red bell pepper - 1/4 cup thinly sliced
7. Beans  - 6-7 beans sliced diagonally
8. Bean Sprouts - 1/4 cup
9. Carrot - 1/2 medium-sized sliced to strips
10. Cabbage - 1/4 cup sliced fine
11. Eggs - 2
12. Soy sauce - 2 tsp
13. Worcestershire sauce - 2 tsp
14. Chilli sauce - 2 tsp
15. Vinegar - 1 tsp (I used balsamic vinegar)
16. Sugar - 2-3 pinches
17. Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
18. Spring Onion - 1-2 chopped, to garnish
19. Vegetable Oil - 2 tsp
20. Salt - to taste 

Method

1. Cook the rice noodles as per the package instructions. When cooked, pour them into a colander, put under cold running water for about 30 seconds and set aside to drain. Pour 1 tsp oil and toss gently to prevent the noodles from sticking to each other. You can cut them using scissors if you want.

2. In a wide pan, heat vegetable oil. Add the minced ginger and garlic, saute for a minute. Turn the knob to high heat, add the chopped beans, saute for around 30 seconds and add chopped carrots. Continue stir-frying and add the cabbage, bean sprouts and bell peppers. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds. The veggies should not be over-cooked or else they may lose their color and crispness.

4. Now move all the veggies to the side and scramble the eggs adding a little pepper powder and salt. Mix it with the vegetables, add the cooked chicken and shrimp. Now toss in the cooked noodles, add soy sauce, chilli sauce, worcestshire sauce and  vinegar. Stir-fry until everything is well-mixed and the noodles are coated with all the sauces. Add more sauces until desired taste is achieved. Season with pepper, a little sugar, check for salt and switch off. Garnish with spring onions. Serve hot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kerala Beef Curry and Roast

    It’s Easter time of the year. Beef Curry/roast would be one dish that would find it’s place in tables of most Christian homes. My friends used to invite me to their homes during Easter and Christmas and I had these delicious beef, biriyani, chicken stew, appam, etc. I still savour the taste of all those yummy curries. I still wonder why we Hindus are not able to make non-veg the way Christians or Muslims do.
     Here I am sharing a beef curry and roast recipe in the same post. You can make beef curry, save half your curry (however delicious it may be) and make roast with it.. This is my friend Heney’s recipe. We both used to share recipes when she was here last year. Sadly, she went back to India before I started this blog or else I would have had lots of yummy non-vegetarian Kottayam style dishes to share with you all. She is now busy with her kid otherwise I would have bugged her to pass me her mother’s recipes as her mom is a great cook.
    Coming to the recipe, you can add kashmiri chilli powder/ piriyan mulaku podi for that perfect brown colored beef roast. Also you could add more coconut oil and roast it well. Being a health-conscious person, I sometimes prefer to add less oil.

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

For the curry

1. Beef - 3/4 lb
2. Pearl onion - 10 sliced
3. Green chilies - 1-2 slit
4. Ginger - 1.5 inch piece chopped
5. Garlic - 5-6 chopped
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Chilliypowder - 1 tsp
8. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
9. Fennel powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Meat masala or garam masala -2 tsp
11. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
12. Salt - To taste
13. Coconut oil - As required

Method

For beef curry

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the pearl onion, green chillies, ginger and garlic. Saute until the onion turns transparent. Lower the flame and add the masala powders and salt. Saute for a few seconds and add in the beef pieces. Mix well, stir for a few minutes and add 1 cup water. If you are planning to make beef roast, you need to add only 1/4 cup water or less. Actually there is no need to add water if your are preparing a roast since water will ooze out from the beef, but I always get scared that it will get burnt that is why I add at least  1/4 cup water. Close the pressure cooker with its lid and cook for 2 whistles at medium heat.

 

 2. Open the pressure cooker when it cools down and add a few more curry leaves. Check for salt. Serve hot with rice/chapatis/appam/idli/dosa/pathiri/bread etc.

For the beef roast

Ingredients

1. Onion - 1 medium sliced lengthwise (Using pearl onions will be more tasty. You can use around 10 pearl onions for this recipe )
2. Ginger - 1 inch chopped
3. Garlic - 3-4 chopped
4. Coconut slices - 1/4 cup
5. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
6. Pepper powder - 1/2 - 1 tsp (Adjust it according to your spice tolerance level)
7. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
8. Meat masala - 1/2 tsp
9. Coconut oil - As required
10. Salt - To taste

Method

 

In a deep pan, heat some coconut oil and add the coconut slices. Fry until brown and add the sliced onion, ginger and garlic. Saute until the onion turns brown and oil starts appearing. Now add pepper powder , garam masala powder and meat masala powder. Mix well and add in the cooked beef with the gravy. Again mix well and roast it at low flame until all the water evaporates. Check for salt and masala. Add more coconut oil and roast well at low heat if you want a perfect browned roast.

 

Fish Roast

       Does any Keralite, especially one who belongs to the central travancore region ever get tired of eating fish every day ? The answer would definitely be a big nooooo…, I know! At home, we have fish at anytime of the day, be it dosa and kottayam style spicy fish curry, rice with any kind of fish dish and chapati with fish stew/roast…the combination keeps changing though….. I had been cooking lots of chicken dishes for the blog. My hubby has started complaining that I am making him eat all the meat and restricted me from cooking them for a while. So I am fishing out a few good fish recipes for all of you to try out !
      This is a very simple but special fish roast recipe. I got this recipe from my mother-in-law when she visited us. I make this often when I feel that we need a change from the usual fish curry, fish fry or baked fish.

Ingredients

1. Fish - 2 fillets or around 3/4 lb, cut to small cubes (I used salmon)
2. Onion - 2 medium, sliced thin
3. Tomato - 2 small deseeded and chopped
4. Green chillies - 2-3 chopped fine
5. Ginger - 1 inch piece chopped fine
6. Garlic - 5-6 chopped fine
7. Curry leaves - 4 - 5 sprigs finely chopped (Add more curry leaves for better taste)
8. Tumeric powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Chilli powder - 1 tsp 
10. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
11. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
12. Fennel powder - 1 tbsp
13. Salt - To taste

Marinade

 

1. Chilli powder - 2 tsp
2. Coriander powder - 2 tsp
3. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
4. Vinegar - 1 tsp
5. Salt - To taste

Method

1.  Marinate the fish with the ingredients under marinade for around 30 mts.

2.  Heat around 1 tbsp oil in a wide non-stick pan. Add the ginger, garlic, sliced onion and green chillies. Saute well at medium heat. When the onion turns brown add the tomatoes and curry leaves.

3.  When the  tomatoes are mashed well, lower the heat and add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, pepper powder and fennel powder. Check for salt. Mix well and lay the marinated fish pieces on the masala. 

4.  Cover the pan with a lid and cook at low heat turning the fish pieces carefully in between. It will take around 30 - 40 mts. Coat the fish with the masala and cook for another 10 mts. (You can cook the fish in medium heat, if you feel that the fish will not get properly cooked at low heat. Saute in between, so that the masala wont get burnt but take care not to break the fish pieces.) Serve hot with rice/ chappathi. It serves 3.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tips:

 

1) You can shallow fry the marinated fish pieces and add to the masala. That way it will remain more firm.

Chicken Tikka

   Here’s another great recipe from Best Ever Indian Cookbook. The word tikka means bits or pieces. This is a wonderful and easy-to-prepare appetizer where the chicken is broiled or grilled after marinating it with yoghurt and spices.  This dish can also be served as a main course. 

Ingredients

1. Boneless chicken - 500 gm, cubed 
2. Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
3. Chilli powder - 3/4 tsp
4. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
5. Low fat yoghurt - 1 tbsp
6. Lemon juice - 1.5 tbsp
7. Fresh cilantro chopped -  1 tbsp
8. Salt - To taste
9. Oil - 1 tbsp

Method

1.  Marinate the chicken pieces with the ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder, yoghurt, lemon juice, cilantro and salt for at least 2 hours.

 

 

2.  Place in a grill (broiler) pan or in a flameproof dish lined with foil and baste with the oil.

You can also arrange them in 2-3 skewers (remember to soak wooden skewers in cold water for 15 mts before use, to prevent them from burning).  I broiled it in the conventional oven with some bell peppers marinated with vegetable oil, dried herbs (rosemary,dill weed, thyme and parsley) and garlic salt. 

3.  Preheat the grill (broiler) to medium.  Grill (broil) the chicken pieces for 15-20 mts or until done, turning and basting several times. Garnish with onion rings and lemon slices.  This recipe serves 4 as an appetizer.