Yummy Masala

Vada Curry

2012-01-18T19:48:00.000-08:00

Vada Batter:

channa Dhal 1/2 cup
Moong Dal 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

Soak them for 2 hrs and grind it to coarse paste (No water)

1 onion long cut
10 garlic pealed or 1 pod
patta 1
cardamom 3
bay leaf
tumeric powder pinch
10 cashew broken
coconut milk - one can
Make a paste of sauf 1 tbsp, 10 green chilli, ginger 1 inch no water

Deep fry the vadas as small rolls in oil. Once golden remove.

In another pan add oil 3 to 4 tsp, patta, cardamom, bayleaf, then cashew fry red. Add garlic, fry until soft.

Add onion and soften add a lil salt for onion.
Add the grinded paste and fry, (add chilli powder and reduce green chill if u like), add tumeric lil and then fry and add 1/2 cup water
Cook a few minutes. Then add coconut milk, and enough salt, if requred add more water enough for curry. Then cook 5 mins add curry leaves.

Break the vadas into small pieces. add to the curry and cook together.
Mash the vadas.

Add a tsp ghee on top. Garnish with Coriander leaves.
Very tasty and fragrant vada curry is ready.

Yum Yum with Idli's specially and Dosa.
Can be eaten with rice as well.

Chettinadu Chicken Curry

2012-01-18T19:30:00.000-08:00

For Gravy:
Chicken - 3/4 kg
Shallots/Red onion - 1 cup, sliced
Tomato - 1 cup, sliced
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 1 string
Coconut Milk - 1 cup (I used canned coconut milk)
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Coriander leaves - for garnishing

For Masala:
Black Pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Fennel seeds - 3/4 teaspoon
Coriander seeds - 1 and 1/2 tablespoons
Dry red chillies - 6 nos
Cardamoms - 2 no
Cinnamon - 1 inch length
Curry leaves - 1 string

For Paste:
Green Chillies - 3 nos
Garlic - 2 big cloves
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Poppy seeds - 1 teaspoon (Soak in 1 tablespoon warm water for 10 minutes)

Method:
1) Dry roast the ingredients given 'For Masala' for 2-3 minutes and grind it to a powder when it comes to room temperature. Keep aside.

2) Make a paste of all the ingredients given 'For Paste'. Keep aside.

3) Heat Oil in a pressure cooker. Add onions and curry leaves. Saute them till onions get soft.

4) Add paste(as said in step 2) and saute for a minutes.

5) Add chicken pieces, cover and cook for 5-7 minutes. Chicken will leave out some water now while cooking. Stir in between for proper cooking.

6) Add tomato, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well and reduce the flame to low and cook the chicken for another 5-7 minutes, uncovered.

7) When you see the chicken is 3/4th cooked, add the coconut milk. Mix well.

8) Close the pressure cooker with lid and cook for 5 more minutes or cook for a whistle.

9) Now, open the lid and add the masala powder (as said in step 1). In a medium flame cook for some time.

10) Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.

Note: No need to add water for the gravy. Coconut milk is alone enough.
Tips: Chicken cooked too long will become hard. Just cooked enough for a tender juicy finish.

Yummy Hot Curry is awaiting to be served.

Palak Paneer

2010-09-06T00:55:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Chopped onion 1,

Chopped garlic 2-3 cloves

Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp

Ginger & Garlic paste 1tsp

Green chillies 2

Chopped tomato 1 to 1/2

salt

Coriander powder 1 tsp

Cumin powder 1 tsp

Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp

Turmeric pinch

Whipping cream optional

Paneer - Indian Cottage cheese

Whole garam masala - Cloves 4-5, Cardamom2-4, Cinnamon 2 small sticks

Fenugreek leaves powder 1 tsp

palak 1 bunch

Method:

In boiling water add spinach for 2 mins and cook then drain and grind to a paste

Don't use lid when cooking the palak if you want the green color, and if you want to keep the vitamins then close the lid.

In a Pan add oil, whole garam masala, chopped Garlic 2 to 3 cloves, cumin seeds once spluttered,
add chopped onions, lil salt (onions, cook lil more until light brown so they can dissolve) and add
Ginger Garlic paste, 1/2 tsp, turmeric and fry and add chopped tomatoes (must be fully cooked in medium heat),

Add 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp chilli powder add fenugreek leaves (crush them in palms while adding)
and fry then add green chillies and fry.

Add grinded palak and wait till oil comes out, then add paneer and simmer for a few minutes. Finally, add some cream (optional).

Palak paneer is now ready to be served with naan / roti / paratha / pulav.

Kadai Mixed Vegetable

2010-07-09T02:42:00.000-07:00

1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
1 tbsp Cumin Seeds
2-3 Red Chillies dry
fry dry and Grind coarsely

1 1/2 tbsp Ginger & Garlic Paste
2 to 3 small green Chillies
Grind into paste

2 onions chopped
2 carrots chopped

1 small cauliflower chopped
10 - 12 french beans chopped

1 green capsicum chopped
3/4 cup peas

3 tomatoes chopped

1/4 tsp tumeric powder
1/2 to 1 tsp chill powder
1 tsp coriander powder

In a Pan add oil 1 to 2 tbsp, onions fry, green chilli & ginger garlic grinded
paste, fry and add coarse grind powder fry a little. Add all chopped vegetables
except peas and capsicum. Close lid and cook until carrot almost done. Add lil
water or sprinkle some water if needed. Add chopped tomatoes, tumeric powder,
chilli powder, coriander power and mix without stopping. Add tomatoes with 1/2
cup water. And salt and cook little dry. Garnish with coriander and
garam masala powder.

Serve with roti, naan ..

Chicken Tikka Masala

2010-04-22T17:48:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

500 gms Boneless Chicken, 1 onion, 1 tomato, 1 red capsicum, Mixed Vegetables, 1or 2 green chillies,  1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, methi powder a pinch, turmuric a pinch, 1 tbsp curd, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cashewnut, 1 tbsp cream, 1 lemon, 1 cup coriander leaves, Salt to taste

Instructions:
Cut Chicken, Vegetables, Red Capsicum, Onions  into small pieces.

Grind tomato,cashewnuts.
Add ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, tumeric powder, coriander powder, , methi powder, curd, lime juice, salt, oil and mix it in a bowl.    Marinate half of this mixture to vegetables and half to the chicken pieces.

Keep aside for an hour.    Grill or pan fry the marinated chicken and vegetables.   Half cook them.

In a Pan add oil, cumin seeds, chopped onion finely, chopped green chilli, garam masala, salt. Mix in low heat.
Add ginger garlic paste, cumin, turmeric, coriander, chilli powder, add a little water mix well.

Add blended tomato paste and mix well.
Close and cook for 5 min.

Add the half cooked grilled or pan fried chicken and vegetables.
Cook for a couple of mins until chicken is done.
Add cream (optional) and Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Yummy Chicken Tikka Masala is ready to serve with (Indian Bread) Naan's, Roti's, Pulav.
Relish and Enjoy.

Chicken 65

2010-03-28T20:05:00.000-07:00

2 lbs Chicken (Boneless Thigh)
(Use only Dark Meat)

1/2 tsp each tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Pepper powder
1/2 tsp Chilli powder
1 tsp Garlic-chopped

1/2 tsp Ginger-chopped
2 tsp Ginger/Garlic paste
4-5 number Green Chilli
2 tsp Cornflour

1/2 tsp Aji no moto(MSG)

1 number Egg

Salt to taste

4-5 number Curry Leaves-chopped

1/2 bunch Coriander leaves-chopped

2-3 drops Red color (Optional)
Oil to fry

For the Fried Chicken:

Take chicken pieces (Use dark meat for juicy finish when fried)
Add salt, Aji-no-moto,1 tsp ginger/garlic paste, pepper powder a pinch, Cornflour and MIX.
Add 1 egg and mix in completely

Heat oil in a frying wok. Add chicken pieces few at a time and fry until lightly golden brown.
Drain and remove on a paper towel.

For The Sauce:

(Add less salt)
Heat 2-3 tsp oil in a pan.
Add cumin, chopped ginger and garlic
Saute until raw smell leaves
Add chopped chillies, Curry leaves,
1 tsp ginger & garlic paste,
Pepper powder,
Chilli powder,
Chilli & Garlic Paste,
Aji-no-moto,
Salt, red color and mix. Cook for a few minutes.

Add a little water and then add chicken to this paste and toss lightly.
Garnish and stir the Coriander leaves.

Yummy Juicy Chicken 65 is ready to serve.

Butter Chicken

2010-03-18T17:58:00.000-07:00

Chicken 1 kg, 2 tbsp or oil butter, 50 ml cream, 10 Cashew Nuts paste, 15 grams chilli pdr, pinch of tumeric, 1 tsp Cumin Powder, Pinch of Garam Masala, 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste, 1 large Onion, 1 tbsp Tandoori Masala, 2 Tomatoes paste,  2 tbsp Yogurt, 1 tbsp Lime juice,  1 Small Cilantro / Coriander leaves, Salt to taste

1.  Combine Yoghurt, Lemon juice, Turmeric, Garam Masala, Chilli, Cumin, Tandoori Masala, Ginger Garlic paste in a bowl and Marinate the Chicken for an hour or overnight.

2. Heat butter / oil in a pan and fry the chicken for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken and keep aside.
3. In the remaining oil, fry the chopped onions till golden, then add the gingergarlic paste till oil seperates.
4. Add the Cashew Nut paste, Tomato Paste and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Add butter, Cream, Chicken, Salt. Mix well and cook until it is done.
6. Garnish with Cilantro or Chopped coriander leaves.

Seve hot with Naan, Roti's, Paratha's, Indian Pulao (Basmati rice)..
Yum Yum Butter Chicken is now ready to eat.

Bambino Vermicelli Pulao

2010-03-02T17:48:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

200 g Bambino Vermicelli
50 g Potato
50 g Carrot
50 g Beans
50 g Tomato
50 g onions
6 to 8 green chillies
1 bunch coriander leaves
1 bunch mint leaves
5 gms spices (Sazeera, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon)
1 tsp coriander power
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
50 ml oil
Salt to taste

Method :

Fry Bambino in half the oil till golden brown and keep it aside. Cut vegetables, onions, green chillies to thin long pieces. Finely chop coriander leaves and mint leaves. Heat oil in a vessel, and add spices, onions, green chillies and mint leaves. When the onions turns brown, add vegetables and cook for 5 minutes and then add all masalas, tomatoes, lastly add water (1 cup vermicelli, 2 cups of water). Once vegetables are cooked, add salt and fried Vermicelli. Cook Vermicelli till the water gets absorbed. Remove from flame and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with raita."

Indian Channa Masala

2010-03-02T17:35:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

200 grams channa
25 grams channa masala pdr
2 Onions

2 tomatoes
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 springs coriander leaves
1 pinch cumin
2 numbers gr chillies
1 pinch turmeric

few pieces whole garam masala (1 small piece of cinnamon, 2-3 cloves, others if you wish to add more)

1 lime

Soak chole in water overnight or to cook the same day soak them in warm water for atleast 5-6 hrs
Pressure cook chole and Drain them.  Keep the liquid.

Chop onions, tomatoes
Heat oil in a deep saucepan and whole garam masala, add cumin seeds.
Add chopped onions to it and saute till brown, (sprinkle pinch of salt with the onions)

Add the Ginger-garlic paste to it and saute for couple of minutes
Add the tomatoes, channa and tumeric powders to it and saute add salt

Saute the tomatoes till they are soft and mushed up.
Add the chole to the mixture and mix gently so that chole are properly coated.
Add the drained water from the Channa, depending on the required gravy or liquid,
Check and adjust the salt.

Simmer the stove and cook covered for 5-6 minutes and garnish it with cilantro / coriander leaves
Serve it with Indian bhature, Puri or Chapatti or Paratha or Naan with sliced onion and lemon wedge by the side.

You can also try with White Bread as a spread.   Yummy.
Or Cook Biryani Rice with a tsp of Ghee (clarified butter).   Serve Channa with Hot Rice.

Chole is best with bautre and is awesome, with a dash of lemon and the onion slices. You'll love it.
Enjoy Indian Yummy Masala.

Indian Egg Biryani

2010-02-15T17:26:00.000-08:00

500 gms Basmati Rice
8 Eggs
1 tsp fired onion
1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
4 Green Chillies
1 tsp Fresh Coriander or Cilantro Leaves

1 bunch mint leaves
1 tbsp oil
3 tsp Clarified Butter (Ghee)

1 large Onion

2 cup Plain Yogurt
1 to taste Salt
1 tsp biryani masala powder

1 Small Stick Cinnamon
4 -5 Cloves
2 Cardomom
1 tsp cumin

Wash and soak rice for atleast ½ hour
Boil eggs. Shell the boiled eggs and give four long cuts on the white portion of each egg without separating it.

In a kadai or pot, heat the clarified butter or oil. And spices and fry the onions until they become golden brown and add ginger garlic paste, green chillies, mint, coriander, biryani masala and curd and cook.

In the same masala measure 1 1/2 times the amout water to rice and bring it to boil.
Add soaked rice and mix well and cook covered till rice is done.

In a Pan add oil, red chilli powder, salt and eggs, besan and fry until the eggs get coated with the spices.
Remove the eggs and set aside.

Top Hot Rice with eggs. Serve with any Raitha.

(Raitha: Plain yogurt mixed well with chopped onions or cumcumber or tomatoes or the in combinations of one or all, add salt and a pinch of garam masala power. Mix well and serve with the Egg Biryani)

Naani's (Grandma's) Pepper Chicken

2010-02-15T16:24:00.000-08:00

Chicken leg pieces 8

Grind the Following:
2 tsp full pepper, 1 to 2 dry red chilli (if you like less spice just 1 will do)
1 and 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds (Sauf)
2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1 onion small size
Pinch of tumeric powder
1 small Cinnamon stick
2 Cloves
1 Cardamom

Apply over Chicken (slit with knife couple of them over the chicken legs across, for the masala to spread within) the grinded mixture, add salt to taste and lime juice (1 small sized lime).

If you can wait, you can soak for half an hour in the fridge to get the above masala to soak in the chicken.
In a Non-Stick Pan, add 2 tbsp oil, add the chicken mixture, and fry covered in medium flame turning occassionaly until chicken is cooked and roasted red.

Yum Yum as usual. Goes very well with Roti's, Chappati's, other Indian Breads like Naan, the masala is very well as a spread on a bread sandwith with some shredded pieces of chicken. This is my mom and her mother's receipe, presenting it to my daughter. It also tastes great with hot rice, rasam (Indian pepper soup) with this Chicken Masala or Hot rice with Sambar/ Daal and the Pepper Chicken Masala. It's a splendid memory of this wonderful yummy dish all along my family. Enjoy your Pepper Chicken..

Home Made Indian Kurma

2010-02-03T19:01:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil
2 large chicken breast fillets, skinned and cut into chunks or lamb cubes small cut or veggies of your choice like chopped Carrots, Potatoes, Peas, Beans, Cauliflower

1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
2 onion
1 Green Chilli
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tomatoes
3 tsp poppy seeds
6-8 cashew nuts
Coconut cream - 1 cup
2 tsp Fennel seeds (Saunf)

4 Cloves
1 piece Cinnamon
2 Cardamom

Preparation method

1. Grind Poppy Seeds, 1 tsp Fennel Seeds, Green Chilli, 1 chopped Onion, 1 chopped Tomato, Cashew nuts, coconut cream, add required water.

2. In a pot or a vessel add oil, add Cinnomon, Cloves, Cardamom, 1 tsp Fennel.   Let it splutter.
3. Add chopped onion, add little salt for the onions to soften. Add Ginger Garlic Paste, Fry.
4. Add Chopped Meat, or chicken or Veggies Fry. Add 1 Chopped Tomato

5. Add the Grinded Paste. Mix and add enough water, if consistency is thick.   Check the taste add salt appropriately. Cook till the meat or the veggies are done.

Serve with hot Rice, Chappati, Roti, Naan, (Indian Bread).   Yum Yum..   Home Made Kurma is just ready.

Optional: To enhance taste, you can use a tsp of Ghee or clarified butter instead of oil.

Dosa and its variations with Eggs, Carrots, Onions..

2009-07-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

What do I need?

Boiled rice 2 and 3/4 cups, Raw rice 1/4 cup, Urad daal (black gram lentil without skin) 1 cup,

Methi (Fenugreek seeds) 1 tsp, salt to taste, 1 pinch of cooking soda (optional)

oil or ghee for frying.

How Do I make it:

Mix both the rice, wash & soak. Wash urad daal and soak with fenugreek seed. Soak for 4 to 5 hrs.

Grind the batter in a grinder or a mixer with the required water. Add salt and pinch of cooking soda optional.

Keep the batter overnight to ferment. Watch for the batter it may overflow the vessel when u keep over night. Keep the batter in a deep vessel over a dish or a plate just in case the batter overflows. Close the batter with the lid but keep a lil air moving in.

(If u need to make the Dosa immediately u can use some of the batter and add some curd to the batter and mix to get the sourness) .

Heat a tawa or a pan. Grease the Pan with oil. (If the tawa is sticky u can use half onion slice to rub on the tawa)

Then pour a ladle full of batter on the pan and spead it round, thin or thick as per your desire.
Drizzle a tsp of oil or ghee (clarified butter).

You can decide to close and cook so u do not have to turn the dosa again or u can wait until the dosa is cooked and then turn over to cook on the other side.

If the dosa is spread thin and the top layer is cooked then just roll as with a cylinder and serve with a combination of Chutney and sambhar.

Variations:

Make some Potato (Aalu) masala. Place a ladel of this masala in the middle of a thin big dosa just before you roll it into a cylinder shape. Yup, your special Masala Dosa is Done..

For Children and Adults with Egg and or veggies (Oothappam another variety of Dosa a thicker version):

You can also spread the batter thick (the batter must not be watery for this) and grate some carrots or peas or onions and sprinkle on the top layer.

Once the bottom layer is cooked you can turn the dosa for the top layer to cook.

Yum Yum.. Your Hot Plate of Dosa is just ready to eat.

Use a bit more creation and a whole egg to the top layer just after you spread the dosa batter on the tawa, break the egg yolk and spread it on the top layer of the dosa. Once the dosa is cooked at the bottom, turn the egg side over so it will cook the eggs.

mmmmmm Another Yummy Dosa variety is ready to eat. Try with some onion chutney... mmmm mmmmm Delicious.

Dosa's can also be served with Jam for Children to enjoy.

I loved Dosa's most, with my mom's Mutton pepper masala as much as I loved it with chutney and sambhar, onion chutney's and the fish curries.. Egg Dosa's are my husbands and our daughter's favourites.

Enjoy the Delicious variations of Dosa's.

Red Kidney Bean - Rajma Masala

2009-07-08T01:05:00.000-07:00

Ingredients: 1 cup red kidney beans (Rajma), 3 tbsp Oil, 1 tsp cumin, 1 onions finely chopped, 1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste, 3 tomatoes chopped finely, 2 green chilies chopped, 1 tsp chili powder, pinch of tumeric, 1 tsp garam masala powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp kastoori methi, 1 tbsp butter, Salt to taste

1.Soak the red kidney beans (Rajma) overnight.
2.Next day, cook in a pressure cooker till soft, but whole (mash some)
3.Heat the oil and cumin fry the onions for 5 minutes. Add the ginger-garlic paste until dry smell leaves.
4. Add chili powder, tumeric and cook until dry smell leaves.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and chopped green chillies and cook until tomatoes are well cooked, (add 1/2 gls of water to help cook the tomatoes well)
6. Add the mixture to the boiled kidney beans.
7. Add the garam masala, cumin powder and kastoori methi crushed between the palms.
8. Add salt to taste. Add water or (boiled rajma water) to get the required consistency.
9. Simmer for 10 to 15 min or until the rajma (kidney beans) gets the flavour.
10.Remember to taste if well done. Goes well with basmati rice or chappatis or rotis. Enjoy.