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Kongu Style Aatu Kari Kurma/ Mutton Curry Kongunadu style

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muttonkurma-4Quick and easy coconut based mutton curry! Darling and delicious. Taste great with plain rice or Indian bread like roti, paratha or parotta. 🙂

Kurma belongs to Mughlai cuisine but differs from state to state. Kongunad is a city comprising different parts of the states of modern Karnataka, and Kerala. It was called kongudesam before and their cuisine is predominately south Indian which is very famous. I already made this with chicken and posted the recipe – Chicken Kongunadu kurma. Made few changes for mutton and made this today. Turned out to be too good.

I woke up at 5 am today and couldn’t sleep after that. I used to roll in the bed usually till 7 or 8 am if I wake up at 5 am in winter. At least summer I can go for a walk. Now looking at the snow, I don’t think I will even walk one street. My friends are visiting from Ottawa today so thought of making this recipe for them with chicken biryani, pepper egg and garlic raita. Whenever I visit them, they cook a lot of me 🙂 so this time I wanted to make it special for them. Today after waking up cooked this and thought it’s been so long since I typed a recipe so ended up typing it now as I am already done with the cooking by 8 pm. I love preparing thali plate 🙂

ThaliPlate

I am sure this is going to taste great with Indian bread like paratha or parotta. You can prepare this recipe with lamb too.

My other Mutton recipes to try – Lamb/Mutton sukka dry curry, Restaurant Style Lamb Biryani, Kadai Gosh/Lamb curry, lamb kebabs

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Kongu Style Aatu Kari Kurma/ Mutton Curry Kongunadu style
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3 cups
 
Ingredients
  • • Mutton - 500gms
  • • Oil – 1 tbsp
  • • Coconut – 2 tbsp
  • • Red Onion/ Shallots – 12 shallots or 2 small sized onion,/ 1 cup (chopped)
  • • Curry leaves – 1 sprig
  • • Tomatoes – 2 small, finely chopped
  • • Turmeric powder – 1 Tsp
  • • Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp
  • • Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp, chopped finely
  • • Salt – to taste

    To roast & grind:
  • • Curry leaves - 6
  • • Fennel seeds – 2 tbsp
  • • Poppy seeds – 1 tbsp
  • • Ginger – 1 inch
  • • Garlic – 3 pods
  • • Cloves - 2
  • • Cinnamon – 1 inch
  • • Dried whole Red chilli - 3
  • • Pepper balls – 1 tbsp
  • • Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp
  • • Red onion - 1 small-medium sized, ¾ cup, chopped
  • • Cumin seeds – 2 tsp
Instructions
  1. Roasting & Grinding:
  2. Roast everything under “roast & grind” in medium to low heat for 5-7 minutes until the onions turn brown a bit.

  3. Add coconut to it, sauté for a minute and when it warm enough to grind, add the chilli powder and enough water to blend it smoothly. Blend it and set aside.


    Gravy preparation
  4. Heat oil in a pan, add the shallots, curry leaves, a bit of salt and sauté until transparent.
  5. Add in chopped tomatoes, turmeric and sauté until the tomatoes are nicely cooked.

  6. When the tomatoes are cooked, add in the ground masala paste with mutton pieces. Add salt as per taste.

  7. Cooker: If you are cooking in pressure cooker, close the cooker and leave it for 4 whistles in medium heat.
  8. Pan: If you are cooking in the pan, keep it in simmer on low flame for 35-45 minutes till it's cooked perfectly. Stir it every 10 minutes so that it does not stick to the pan.
  9. Open the cooker, mix well and add the chopped coriander leaves to garnish.
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muttonkurma

Spicy South Indian Potato Podimas /urulai kizhangu podimas

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Spicypotato_podimas-4Quick and easy spicy side using partly mashed potatoes. Mom’s recipe !!!

I usually post my recipes a week later or sometimes even later than that. I made this today and surprisingly posting it today. Today morning I woke up early or should say dint sleep at all. I got little cranky and wanted to cook something to make me occupied and also to brighten my day with some comfort homemade food. It’s my mom’s recipe. So around 6 am I wanted to know the recipe, called her because usually, she wakes up before that. When I called her, she was sleeping, still picked my call, asked me why I called so early, I insisted her to sleep but she was happy that I called her so early and she gave me the recipe in that call. That’s unconditional love and pure affection from mom. I actually felt little bad after that. When she calls, sometimes I used to say, I am busy.. I am sleepy. .I am doing that and this..and I will say I will call her later 🙁 . However she always has time for me!!! 😉 Deep inside I know it’s my mom and I take her for granted. Love my mom. I am sure all mom is like that 🙂

I made it with sambar and bitter gourd chips/pavakkai chips. I also made some murukku for Sunday snacks 🙂

Other favourite potato recipes: Spicy baby potato roast, cheese roasted baby potatoes with sour cream, potato kurma

 Spicypotato_podimas-3
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Spicy South Indian Potato Podimas /urulai kizhangu podimas
Author: 
Recipe type: Indian
Cuisine: Main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3 cups
 
Ingredients
  • Potatoes – 3, medium
  • Oil - 3 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
  • Channa dal – 1 tsp
  • Hing – ¼ tsp
  • Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
  • Red onions - ½ cup, finely chopped
  • Green chillies – 2, finely chopped
  • Garlic – 3, finely chopped
  • Ginger – 1 inch, finely chopped
  • Curry leaves - 6
  • Chilli powder – ½ tsp
  • Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
  • Lemon – 1 tsp to squeeze
  • Salt – to taste

    [to roast and blend]
  • Channa dal – 2 tsp
  • Whole dry Red chillies - 4
  • Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp
Instructions
  1. Cut the potatoes into three and steam the potatoes with 3 cups of water in a pressure cooker with a bit of salt and a tsp of turmeric powder for exactly 3 whistles. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to settle naturally. Peel the potatoes and dice the potatoes with knife or mash with hands with cubes here and there. Set aside.
  2. Roast the ingredients under “to roast and grind” in medium flame for 5-6 minutes. Blend them into a dry powder by adding no water.
  3. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds splutter.
  4. Add the channa dal, hing and wait until turns to light brown.
  5. Add in the ginger, garlic, onions, green chillies with a bit of salt and sauté until the onions are soft and starting to brown.
  6. Add the diced/mashed potatoes with a bit of salt, chilli powder, blended masala and toss well for 5 -7 minutes so that it gets roasted for some potato pieces. Add salt now according to your taste.
  7. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and squeeze some lemon juice.
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Spicypotato_podimas-2

Quick & simple Mushroom Peas curry in 20 minutes

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MushroomPeasMasala

 

Mushrooms are simmered in spicy & delicious Indian gravy !

It was drafted for a long time in my list to post, thought this is the right time to post it because I did not pretty much cook anything for past one week. I made baigan bartha, but did not force myself to take pictures. I always have couple of recipes in my draft except that I have to type the story or description to it. The masalas in this mushroom are finger licking good. Mushrooms and eggs are the best friend for bachelor cooking I guess, easy to make it for a side dish. So, if you wanted to make it special with a comfort lunch without much of work and grocery shopping then go for this!

I am a vegetarian and I love mushrooms. I cook mushrooms at least once a week. Tried sometime back to be vegan for a week, and it was hard actually. I had a tough time without yogurt and cheese. Probably will try it again sometime :D. Just want to check if I can do it…!

As a matter of fact, this is a vegan curry. You can skip peas and replace with any veggie you want to add.

I have a collection of my favorite mushroom recipes. Few I would mention are Mushroom peanut salan, Paneer Mushroom bell pepper gravy,  Mushroom Biryani, Vegan tofu mushroom dumpling potstickers Garlic Creamy mushroom spaghetti, Mushroom cutlet

5.0 from 1 reviews
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Quick & simple Mushroom Peas curry in 20 minutes
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • • Mushooms – 300 gms, chopped into cubes
  • • Peas – 100 gms (can use frozen peas)
  • • Oil - 2 tbsp
  • • Hing - a pinch
  • • Cumin Seeds/ Jeera - 1 tsp
  • • Red chilli - 2, Broken
  • • Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
  • • Garlic - 4, very finely chopped
  • • Ginger -1/2 inch, finely chopped
  • • Green chilli - 1, small, finely chopped
  • • Onion - 1 big or 1 cup, very finely chopped
  • • Tomato - 2 small, or 1 cup, very finely chopped
  • • Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
  • • Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
  • • Coriander powder - 1 tsp
  • • Cumin powder - 1 tsp
  • • Fresh crushed Pepper powder - 1 tsp
  • • Fresh crushed Fennel powder - 1 tsp
  • • Garam masala - ¼ tsp
  • • salt - about ½ tbsp ( as per your taste)
  • • Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp, finely chopped, for garnishing
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a pan; add hing, broken red chilli and jeera and sauté for few seconds. Add chopped onion, curry leaves, chopped ginger and chopped green chilli, chopped garlic and sauté till onion becomes translucent and golden brown. Add chopped tomatoes and turmeric powder, sauté till its little mushy.
  2. Now add the chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, fennel powder, pepper powder, garam masala and mix well. Saute it well for 2-3 minutes to raw masala. Now add the mushrooms, peas and then add 1 cup of water and make it boil in medium flame closed for 5-8 minutes.
  3. It will reduce into an onion tomato pasty consistency and will ooze out oil on sides.
  4. Finish with coriander leaves and serve it hot! Squeeze some lemon juice as well.
Notes
1. It is spicy curry, so adjust your spice level according to it!
2. You can use the frozen peas as well.
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If you make a some restaurant style Biryani, pulao for this mushroom curry, that’s a complete lunch. Even it tastes great with  plain rice or Indian bread.

MushroomPeasMasala-4

Homestyle Weekend Speciality Lamb Biryani

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HomestyleMuttonBiryani_lamb

A plate full of hot, fragrant rice and lamb cooked with crispy onions and spiced mint coriander sauce. Taste best with chicken 65 or chicken curry 🙂 Weekend it is! 🙂 go for it! Comfort and happy feeling! 🙂

Biryani is one of the most popular dishes in India. The best thing about biryani is that it tastes great even the next day and the day after. It will save you from cooking for next three days and it will never be like you taste leftover food! Awesome right?

There will be no one saying NO to biryanis, let it be Tomato biryani, vegetable biryani, chicken biryani, shrimp biryani, palak biryani, chickpea briyani, potato biryani, paneer biryani, dum aloo biryani, cashew biryani, lamb biryani, egg biryani, mushroom biryani and so on! I have a biryani collection and it is one of the highest viewed pages.

Biryani is not strenuous at all to prepare like many of them believe. It’s just time-consuming and it need that little extra special care when we do it. Try to use all the ingredients listed, each ingredient has a special role in the biryani and compliments one with another. It is worth to do all this for the final taste. I have three lamb Biryani recipes – Ambur Lamb Biryani, Hyderabadi lamb biryani & Restaurant Style Lamb Biryani.

I made this long back, saved this picture and recipe in my draft and just forgot to post it. However I made this a week back for my love and it reminded me to post it. He said he loved it 🙂 Best feeling! Cooking always makes me happy and it makes me feel complete if I cook for him. “Happiness is cooking for him” – is surely my slogan. That’s the beauty of love I think :D. Biryani makes him happy, and it makes me love him more to see his smile :). I made this with chicken kurma as he said he wants that combo. I wasn’t actually sure about the combo, but he said it was good. Probably you guys should try 🙂 Usually he says biryani is good with chicken 65. 😉 enough of my love – here goes the recipe:

 

 

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Homestyle Weekend Speciality Lamb Biryani
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6 cups
 
Ingredients
  • • • Oil – 1tbsp
  • • • Bay leaf – ½
  • • • Cinnamon – 1 thin piece
  • • • Cloves – 3
  • • • Cardamom pods -2
  • • • Basmati Rice – 2.5 cups
  • • • Lamb – 400 gms (I used neck)
  • • • Biryani Masala – 1 tbsp
  • • • Garlic – 4, chopped
  • • • Green chilli – 2, slit into two
  • • • Red Onion – 2 medium sized, sliced
  • • • Tomato – ½, medium sized, sliced
  • •
  • for garnish:
  • • • Saffron – ½ tsp dissolved in ½ cup warm milk
  • • • Ghee – 2 tbsp (or oil)
  • • • Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp, chopped finely
  • • • Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
  • For fried onions: (comes to 2 tbsp)
  • • • Onions – 1 small onion, ½ cup, sliced thinly
  • • • Oil – to fry (3 - 4 tbsp)
  • For rice masala:
  • • • Khus khus (white poppy seeds) – ½ tbsp.
  • • • Cumin seeds/ jeera – ½ tbsp
  • • • Fennel seeds – 1 tbsp.
  • • • Garlic – 4 pods
  • • • Ginger – 2 inches
  • • • Green chilli – 7
  • • • Mint – ½ cup, chopped finely
  • • • Coriander leaves – ¼ cup, chopped finely.
Instructions


  1. For Fried onions: or you can use store brought ones:
  2. Heat a pan with oil, add the sliced onions and cook in medium heat till turn golden brown. Stir in the middle so that it does not stick to the bottom. Set aside.
  3. For lamb: Add lamb, salt for lamb, then add water till it the lamb is correctly covered, not more or less. Cook for 1 hour and cook it covered in medium low heat or put it in a pressure cooker for 5 whistles. Water will not be evaporated totally, which is good. Store the water.
  4. For masala:
  5. Grind the garlic, ginger, mint, coriander, poppy seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, chillis with two tbsp. of water into a smooth paste.

  6. Now take a big pan, add oil or ghee in medium heat, add the spices (cardamom, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves), and add garlic , sliced onions, chillies and sauté for a minute till they get translucent. Now add the tomatoes, grinded paste, biryani powder and sauté them till the raw smell leaves and little oil oozes out, probably 2 minutes.

  7. Now add the rice, cooked lamb without water and mix well. Sauté for a minute to allow the masala to get mixed.

  8. Now add water from lamb and then normal water( Quantity of water to be added is for one cup of rice , it is 1.5 cups of water). Mix well and close the lid tight and keep it in medium heat for 10 minutes and keep it in low for 15 minutes.

  9. I always close my biryani pan with foil to make it sealed, then a plate and then something heavy (like mortar and pestle).

  10. Now add the marinated fried onions, chopped coriander, lemon juice for garnish and Drizzle the saffron milk over the rice. and Switch off, and keep it closed for another 5 minutes. They will help the rice to get the saffron flavors and vice versa.
Notes
1. You can skip biryani masala if you don’t have and add just garam masala (1 tsp and red chilli powder – 3 tsp instead of 1 tsp)
3. If it is spicy in the end, squeeze some lemon, it will reduce the heat and enhance the flavors also.
2. Adjust your salt level as per your taste.
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Prawn Ghee Pepper Masala/ Eral Thokku

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PrawnMasala-3Prawn is cooked with the spices and ghee till the pieces are juicy, flavorful & roasted outside. It is simple, spicy and succulent. This is such an easy dish, yet so delicious and flavorful.

I usually add coconut to prawn finally in many of my curry recipes. But this one I cooked the prawn in ghee and coconut from start. I used ghee (Indian clarified butter) here. But you can use unsalted butter also.

Its been long since I made something with prawn. Finally got a chance last month to make it. I used to post a lot of recipes before and I am not actually that active like before. I am trying to cope up and lets see how it goes. I guess I should consider more professional than personal.

You can use them as a Starter and it also taste great with   Lamb Biryani, Chicken  Biryani, Peas pulao, Naan, paratha,  or mix it with plain rice and its heaven on earth!

Other favorite similar recipes: Spicy Prawn Thokku, Spicy Tomato Thokku, shrimp Biryani, pavakkai thokku, home style fish curry

PrawnMasala

4.3 from 4 reviews
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Prawn Ghee Pepper Roast/ Eral Thokku
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 1.5 cups
 
Ingredients
  • Ghee – 1 tbsp
  • Oil – 1 tbsp
  • Onion – 1 medium, finely chopped, (1 cup)
  • Green chilli – 2 small, finely chopped
  • Ginger – 2 inch, finely chopped
  • Garlic – 6, finely chopped
  • Coconut – 2 tbsp, grated
  • Tomato – 1 small, finely chopped
  • Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
  • Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
  • Garam Masala - 1 tsp
  • Prawn – 3 cups
  • Lemon wedges and coriander leaves to garnish

    To Roast & Grind:
  • Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp
  • Fennel Seeds – 1 tbsp
  • Whole Red Chilli – 3
  • Pepper balls - 8
  • Cumin seeds – ½ tbsp
  • Shallots – 4 small
  • Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp
  • Curry leaves – 10
Instructions
  1. Dry roast the ingredient under "to roast & grind" in medium to low flame. Grind them with a spoon of water and keep it aside.

  2. In a pan, heat oil, ghee, and when heated add onion, ginger, garlic, chillies, coconut and salt and sauté till golden brown.

  3. Now add tomato and fry till its mushy. Add the turmeric, blended spice masala, red chilli powder and sauté for 5 minutes in medium to low flame till it oozes out oil. Check for salt and add more if needed.

  4. Add clean prawn, and stir well till the prawn is well blended with the spices.
  5. Add ½ cup of water and mix well. Close for 5 minutes.

  6. The prawn would have cooked well by now, mix well. See if the consistency is good for you. Or keep it open for 10 minutes and it will get roasted at the ends. (Check spice level as you add it, your spice level may differ).

  7. Add chopped coriander leaves, switch it off and squeeze some lemon.
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PrawnMasala-4

Simple classic tomato and mushroom pasta

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Tomato_mushroom pasta-2One of my favourite 30 minute dinner recipes – warm and comfort!

It has a good portion of veggies so it is surely healthy and add spinach if needed. I made this with a side of radish cucumber salad. I somehow forgot to edit the pictures and finally got some time this weekend to sit with my lightroom. I should say probably because my mom is here and she takes care of the kitchen mostly so I have loads of time. Actually she takes care of the kitchen and also me. Its been long since she hugged me and slept, felt better. Going to miss this again..

Now back to the pasta story, I don’t make pasta a lot. However when I make I try to include mushrooms to it as I like it a lot. Most probably I make pasta because I don’t want to cook for long. So I tend not to take much pictures or when I am bored of rice. It is one of the quick dinner recipes. I like to make my dinner with lot of recipes to fill my plate which I don’t mind if it takes time, but if I make a single dish it means I am too tired to cook, so it should be quick for me.

You can use any kind of pasta for this. 🙂

Other quick 30 minute dinner recipes: Quick and simple egg curry in 20 minutes, Honey garlic eggplant, spicy chicken egg fry noodles, veg fried rice (Indian style)

Other favorite pasta recipes: Roasted eggplant mozzarella pasta, pasta in rose sauce, Garlic creamy mushroom pasta

SUndriedTomato_mushroom pasta

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Simple classic tomato and mushroom pasta
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2 cups
 
Ingredients
  • Spaghetti – 300 g [or other pasta as per your dish]
  • Cherry tomatoes – 300 g, chopped into quarters
  • Mushrooms – 300g , sliced or cut into quarters
  • Olive oil – 2 tbsp
  • Garlic – 5 cloves
  • Chilli flakes – 1 tbsp
  • Salt - as per taste

    to garnish –
  • crushed pepper
  • and parmigiano reggiano– 2 tbsp
  • basil leaves - 1 tbsp
Instructions
  1. Put the pasta onto cook with salt. Once the pasta is cooked, then drain and keep aside.
  2. Keep a pan , add the olive oil to the pan with garlic and slowly heat the pan.
  3. When the pan is hot with garlic without it gets brown, add the red chilli flakes and sauté for few seconds.
  4. Now add the mushrooms, tomatoes with salt to it until it becomes soft for 8 minutes.
  5. Add the drained pasta to it and mix well.
  6. Garnish with some grated parmigiano reggiano, basil leaves and crushed pepper to it.
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SUndriedTomato_mushroom pasta-4

Cauliflower Paav bhaji

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PavBhaji-4Spicy warm curry with mashed cauliflower and vegetables – popular Mumbai street food which I made it with cauliflower instead of potatoes – served with fresh butter paav or dinner bread rolls.

Everyone have their own way of doing pav bhaji and their own choice of vegetables. Origin pav bhaji has potato as base however I just made it with just cauliflower as base and it was amazing too. It has a origin as Mumbai. I have heard Mumbai street has the best pav bhaji, but for me my mom makes the best pav bhaji. She had it once somewhere in a restaurant from Chennai, and every time she made it, the taste got elevated. Now it is her special recipe she makes for everyone. I cant wait to have it back again from her hands.

Heard that when the mill workers preferred to have a cheap lunch during the lunch break, so a vendor or a chef I should say created this innovative dish. Then it went to restaurants and other cities. I should say this is my favorite Indian chaat recipe.

Serve it hot with bread or dinner rolls.

Other favorite Vegetarian curries: Kashmiri shaman kaliyah/paneer in spicy milk gravy, handi paneer dhaba style, Lentil malai kofta

PavBhaji-2

 

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Cauliflower Paav bhaji
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3 cups
 
Ingredients
  • Oil – 2 tbsp
  • Hing (asafoetida) – ¼ tsp
  • Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
  • Cauliflower – 1, small ( 2 cups)
  • Capsicum – ½
  • Green peas – ½ cup
  • Onion – 2, medium
  • Tomato – 2, medium
  • Garlic ginger paste – 1 tbsp
  • Green chilli – 3 pieces
  • Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
  • Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
  • Pav bhaji masala – 2 tbsp
  • Salt – 2 tsp or to taste
  • Coriander (cilantro) – ½ cup
Instructions
  1. Chop the vegetables like cabbage, peas and cauliflower. Boil for 15 minutes or pressure cooker the vegetables for 10 minutes with 3 cups of water until become mushy.
  2. Mash the vegetables using masher with the water.
  3. Now in a pan, heat oil, add cumin seeds, hing, ginger garlic paste, chopped onions and sauté for 1- 2 minutes.
  4. Add tomatoes with turmeric powder, chilli powder and let it ooze out some oil which will take 2- 3 minutes.
  5. Add mashed vegetables, required salt and readymade pav bhaji masala in the gravy.
  6. Combine well, cook the bhaji for atleast 10 – 15 minutes on low to medium flame.
  7. Add water in bhaji if required and cook for 5 more minutes.
  8. When the oil starts separating from top and pav bhaji is ready.
  9. Garnish with some butter on top, lemon wedge, chopped onion, chaat masala fried green chilli and fresh coriander leaves,
  10. Serve hot with some bread or paav.
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PavBhaji-3

Spicy Kongunad kozhi kurma – Chicken curry

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ChickenKurmaParottaSouth Indian kurma is a flavourful and delicious curry with fresh ground masala. Taste great with street food style – Parotta.

Kongunad is a city comprising different parts of the states of modern Karnataka, and kerala. It was called kongudesam before and their cuisine is predominately south Indian which is very famous. So I wanted to make this recipe that I came to know.

This taste great with parotta or some kind of breads or naan or with plain rice. Whenever I say I made parotta and chicken kurma , I would see people drool 😀 I guess this combination is one of the classics. You can also use this chicken curry for street food style kothu parotta.

When I was making this recipe, the whole house smelled with flavors. I have heard stories about the method of making parotta in India. The road side parottas is the tastiest I have heard. The making of parotta is an art. The art of making the layers is fun to learn. I have made it couple of times and it is sure fun to make. It makes your stomach full as it is made with all purpose flour and oil.

You can have parotta with vegetable kurma too if you are a vegetarian. However if you eat meat, I am sure chicken curry like this is the best.

Other favorite chicken recipes: Madurai chicken curry/Kuzhambu, Chicken Biryani Homestyle, Madras chicken curry in 30 minutes.

ChickenKurmaParotta-2

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Spicy Kongunad kozhi kurma – Chicken curry
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 5 cups
 
Ingredients
  • Chicken – 500 gms / ½ kg ( Get chicken with the bone)
  • Oil – 1 tbsp
  • Coconut – 2 tbsp
  • Red Onion/ Shallots – 12 shallots or 2 small sized onion,/ 1 cup (chopped)
  • Curry leaves – 1 sprig
  • Tomatoes – 2 small , finely chopped
  • Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
  • Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp
  • Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp, chopped finely
  • Salt – to taste

    To roast & grind:
  • Curry leaves - 6
  • Fennel seeds – 2 tbsp
  • Poppy seeds – 3 tsp
  • Ginger – 1 inch
  • Garlic – 3 pods
  • Cloves - 2
  • Cinnamon – 1 inch
  • Dried whole Red chilli - 3
  • Pepper balls – 1 tbsp
  • Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp
  • Red onion - 1 small-medium sized , ¾ cup, chopped
  • Cumin seeds – 2 tsp
Instructions
  1. Roasting & Grinding:
  2. Roast everything under “roast & grind” in medium to low heat for 5-7 minutes until the onions turn brown a bit.
  3. Add coconut to it, sauté for a minute and when it warm enough to grind, add the chilli powder and enough water to blend it smoothly. Blend it and set aside.]br]


    Gravy preparation
  4. Heat oil in a pan, add the shallots, curry leaves, bit of salt and sauté till transparent.
  5. Add in chopped tomatoes, turmeric and sauté till the tomatoes are nicely cooked.
  6. When the tomatoes are cooked, add in the ground masala paste with chicken pieces. Add salt as per taste.
  7. Cooker: If you are cooking in pressure cooker, close the cooker and leave it for 4 whistles in medium heat.
  8. Pan: If you are cooking in pan, keep it in simmer on low flame for 35-45 minutes till its cooked perfectly. Stir it every 10 minutes so that it does not stick to the pan.
  9. Open the cooker, mix well and add the chopped coriander leaves to garnish.
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ChickenKurmaParotta-3

Peanuts Masala Stuffed Eggplant/ Bharwan Baigan

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StuffedBrinjal-3

Baby eggplants stuffed with peanuts and medley of spices and cooked till perfection. Vegan and gluten free!

Whenever I see baby eggplants in the store, I grab them. I love them as side rather than for curry like kuzhambu or sambar. I started to make this before few years when my friend said she tried it. I usually make the classic masala stuffed eggplant. I have already posted the recipe before. I wanted to try a different stuffing. Thought of making mint spices first, then went for a peanut coconut stuffing. It was really good. You should try it! 🙂

My mom has never made this, but my dad said my grandma used to make this often. I don’t make it often 😉 however when I make it I enjoy it as delicacy. I feel eggplant is a versatile vegetable and we could make a lot of dishes with it.

It taste great with dal fry, rasam or even with plan rice.

My favorite eggplant recipes: 30 minute spicy eggplant fry, Eggplant mozzarella baked pasta,Honey Garlic Eggplant, Masala stuffed eggplants,

StuffedBrinjal-5

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Peanuts Masala Stuffed Eggplant/ Bharwan Baigan
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 10 eggplants
 
Ingredients
  • • Baby eggplant – 10
  • • Peanut oil/ sesame oil – 2 tbsp
  • • Curry leaves – 1 spring
  • • Green Chilli - 2, slit
  • • Dry Red chilli – 2, broken
  • • Salt- for taste
  • • Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
  • • Dry mango powder – 1 tsp

    To Roast & Grind:
  • • Red chilli dry – 4
  • • Peanuts – 3 tbsp
  • • Coconut – 3 tbsp grated
  • • Channa dal - 1 tbsp
  • • Urad Dal – 2 tbsp
  • • Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
  • • Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp
  • • Fenugreek seeds – ½ tsp
  • • Jeera – 1 tbsp
  • • Pepper - 2 tsp
  • • Tamarind – pinch
  • • Garlic cloves – 3
Instructions
  1. Dry roast the ingredients under "to saute and grind" and grind to a smooth paste adding little water with turmeric powder, salt and dry mango powder. Mix well and Set aside.

  2. Wash and slit the eggplants on top of it without removing the stalk. Cut till almost the end to stuff keeping the stalk.

  3. Stuff the ground masala in the slit brinjal as much as possible.
  4. In a kadai, add little oil, add curry leaves, broken red chillies and slit chillies. Now place the stuffed brinjal. Keep the flame medium - low. Simmer the flame and cover the kadai. Add 2 tbsp of water for it to get cooked. Try to keep them intact.
  5. Sprinkle the left over ground masala if any is left over and a little bit of salt.

  6. Keep turning for each 5 minutes and when all sides are roasted, switch off. It usually takes 20 minutes.
  7. Garnish with coriander leaves.
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StuffedBrinjal-4

Easy egg pepper fry

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QuickPepperEggMasala-3

Roasted spicy masala marinated eggs!

I made this on a Sunday as a side dish recently. Whenever I usually make chicken biryani or lamb biryani, I also boil egg or make this pepper egg roast. I found that boiled egg is too simple. However I find egg pepper roast is complicated or time-consuming for most Sundays with my other list of dishes I do. I wanted to change it. So made this. It tasted great and perfect. This takes just 20 minutes to do after you boil the eggs.

 

🙁 After I took the pictures, it slipped from my table by mistake. 🙁 I had to do it again :(. But wanted to make it 🙂 it looked and tasted amazing I believed. So made it again. 😉

My other favorite egg recipes: Egg pepper roast,Quick and simple egg curry in 20 minutes

This dish taste great with simple lemon rasam, chicken biryani or sambar.

QuickPepperEggMasala

5.0 from 3 reviews
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Easy egg pepper fry
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 5
 
Ingredients
  • Egg – 5
  • Curry Leaves – 1 Sprig
  • Coriander leaves – 2 tsp (chopped to garnish)

    To grind:
  • Fennel seeds/sombu – 1 tsp
  • Cumin seeds/Jeeragam – 1 tsp
  • Garlic – 3
  • Ginger – 1 inch
  • Onion – 5 shallots/ or equal quantity of red onion
  • Pepper balls/ milagu – 1 tbsp
  • Whole dry Red chilli – 1
  • Green chilli - 1
  • Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
  • Sugar – a pinch
  • Salt – ½ tsp
Instructions
  1. Boil the eggs. [I boil the egg in boiling water for 5 mins. Switch off and close it for 10 mins. Wash in cold water and remove the shell]. Set aside.
  2. Blend all the ingredients under “To grind” for the masala paste with 2-3 tablespoon of water. Blend to a smooth paste and Set aside.
  3. Heat oil in a pan and add in the curry leaves, blended masala paste and the salt.
  4. Let it get cooked in medium flame till the raw smell leaves for 2-3 mins.
  5. Cut the boiled eggs into two and add it to the medium heated masala pan. Keep the flame on low and slowly roast the masala eggs.
  6. Once in a while turn the eggs slowly. This is to make sure the eggs are roasted properly.
  7. When the masalas with the eggs are roasted brown, switch off. It would take 10 -13 minutes.
  8. Garnish with coriander leaves.
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QuickPepperEggMasala-4

Tindora/ Ivy Gourd/ Pavakkai Foxtail Millet rice

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KovakkaiRiceFlavorful millet rice dish made with ivy gourd & Indian freshly grounded spices masala.

You can replace millets with normal rice.

Replacing my white rice – Healthy weight loss goals 😀 :

I was looking for options to replace white rice as I consume white rice mostly. Tried brown rice first and I did not like it much. So tried quinoa and it was not bad. When I cook my rice, I add ½ cup of white rice and ½ cup of quinoa. That was good for sure. Heard that we cannot quinoa on daily basis L not again!!! So, got some millets like Foxtail millets(Thinai), Kodo Millet (varagu),Little Millet(Saamai), Barnyard Millet(Kuthiravali), and pearl millet(kambu). Heard millets are good replacement for rice.

Foxtail Millet (Thinai) is a vegan food and also gluten free cereal. Thinai is rich in proteins, low in fat and has good amount of fiber content, calcium and iron. I have used thinai for this recipe. You can use any millet I think.

It taste great with some onion raita/ garlic raita and with some papads.

My other favorite quick rice recipes: Ghee rice, coconut rice, ginger rice

My other favorite ivy gourd recipes: Spicy fennel Tindora/Ivy gourd stir fry

 

KovakkaiRice-2

 

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Tindora/ Ivy Gourd/ Pavakkai Foxtail Millet rice
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2 cups
 
Ingredients
  • Foxtail Millet/ Thinai – 1 cup
  • Onion – ½ small ( sliced)
  • Jeera/ cumin seeds – 1 tsp
  • Curry leaves – 1 sprig
  • Green chilli – 2 (sliced)
  • Hing/ Asafoetida – a pinch
  • Kovakai/Tindora/Ivy Gourd – 15 (Sliced again)
  • Turmeric – ¼ tsp
  • Salt – as per taste

    To roast and grind
  • Chana dal – 1tbsp
  • Urad dal – 1 tsp
  • Black peppercorns – 1 tsp
  • Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
  • Fenugreek seeds – ¼ tsp
  • Fennel seeds/Sombu – 1 tsp
  • Dry red chilli – 3
  • Grated coconut – 2.5 tbsp
Instructions
  1. Cook the rice or millets in pan or cooker. I made in rice cooker with ½ tsp salt with 3 cups of water for 1 cup of millet rice.
  2. Roast the ingredients under “roast and grind” in medium flame for one minute till the dal turns golden brown.
  3. Now, heat a pan with oil, add the cumin seeds, and curry leaves. Add the onions and green chilli with a pinch of salt.
  4. Add the ivy gourd and saute for a further 1 minute. Now add turmeric, ½ tsp salt, ½ Cup of water and mix well. Turn the flame to low-medium and cook covered until the ivy gourd is half done.
  5. Once the ivy gourd is half cooked, add the ground masala powder and mix well. If needed, add little more water and mix well. The mixture will take another 2 minutes to cook.
  6. It would be thick , little watery with some oil oozed out. Turn the speed to medium to high heat if needed.
  7. Add the cooked millets/ rice to the ivy gourd masala or vice versa and mix nice. Mix slowly so that it wont break the millets/rice.
  8. Serve warm and enjoy with simple appalam/papads/raita or chips.
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KovakkaiRice-3

Masala Peanuts/ Masala Kadalai/ Fried spicy peanuts

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Masala Kadalai-4Perfect tea time snack! Peanuts coated in spicy marination with garlic and deep fried.

My dad used to buy me spicy peanuts from Indian snack stores like ananda bhavan, saravana bhavan or other snack shops when I was a kid. Actually not only when I was a kid, still when I go to India, he gets me this. He likes all kind of nuts like peanuts, cashews, pistachios. I don’t like them raw. I just have them because its healthy. 😉 However if you fry with some spices like this, I am always ready to finish it.

I went to visit my sister last month. I wanted to make some snacks and sweets to her before going. So, made some ribbon pakoda, coconut barfi and this. 🙂 I feel good when I make something special for someone I like 🙂

Evening when you need some tea or coffee, of course it would be great with some cookies, a slice of cake or some spicy snacks. This is perfect for that!

My other favourite snack recipes: Almond butter murukku, Spicy curry leaves seedai, Mushroom cutlet, Onion chilli bajji pakoda.

Some use red colouring. However, I find it not healthy. So, I did not use. You can use it if you want bright colours.

Masala Kadalai-2

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Masala Peanuts/ Masala Kadalai/ Fried spicy peanuts
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3 cups
 
Ingredients
  • Peanuts – 3 cups ( Raw)
  • Rice Flour – 5 tbsp
  • Gram Flour – ¾ cup
  • Kashmiri red Chilli Powder – 1.5 tbspn (For spice and color)
  • Amchur/ Mango powder - 1 tsp
  • Baking Soda – ¾ tsp
  • Garlic (with skin) – 10 cloves
  • Fennel Seeds / Sombu – 1 tsp
  • Asafoetida / Hing – ½ tsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil to deep fry
Instructions
  1. Roast the peanuts in medium flame for 5 mins. If you are using roasted peanuts, you don't have to do this step.
  2. In a mixing bowl, add everything except peanuts. Mix well. Add the roasted peanuts and combine it well.
  3. Now add water little by little. Actually sprinkle and make it soft dough. It should not be liquid form.
  4. Heat kadai with enough oil to fry.
  5. Take some dough in your hands and slowly drop the dough in small batches.
  6. Dry fry the pakodas till they are golden brown. Drain it by placing in a kitchen tissue.
  7. Store it in an airtight container and can have it for 7-10 days.
Notes
Adding a tsp of hot oil to the mixture makes it crispy.
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Masala Kadalai-3

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