Kitchen Tantra - tease your palate

Spicy Plantain Curry

2009-07-13T21:33:00.006-02:00

Vazhaikai Milagu Kuzhambu:Chettinad style Plantain Curry. Vazhaikai Kuzhambu. Arattikai-Miryalu Pulusu. Kacha Kela - Kali Mirch Curry. Vazhaikai Masala Kuzhambu.Another spicy invention from my kitchen to You'll! I love Chettinad cuisine...one of the spiciest food in the world! Touch of fennel, heat from pepper, pearl onions and curry leaves, now you guess the flavour!! Lot od people mis judge,

Kothamalli Meen Kuzhambu

2009-07-11T11:58:00.006-02:00

Malli Meen Kuzhambu:Dhaniya Machi ki Salan. Country style Chappalu Pulusu. Kothamalli Meen Kuzhambu.When we were in Hostel, my wall mate(next room neighbour)Rubanya from Theni(Tamil Nadu)taught me this dish. I tried this curry invariably to all the meat preparations, it came out well! Ingredients:Cat fish 6-8 slicesOnion 1 gratedGarlic 7 crushed & mincedTomatoes 3-4 pureedTamarind water 1

Turkey Fry

2009-07-09T10:36:00.004-02:00

Turkey Varuval:Vaan Kozhi Milagu Varuval. Van Kozhi Fry.Ingredients:Turkey leg pieces 2-4OnionGarlic 4 clovesGinger 2" Tomato 1 smallCoconut grated 2 teaspoonSaltTurmeric powder 1/4 spoonChili powder 1 spoonOil. Method:In a wide wok, heat oil and add onion, garlic, ginger, coconut and stir-fry for few minutes and wet-grind to thick paste.In the same oil...saute' turkey and add salt, turemric and

Idly Milagai Podi

2009-07-08T00:36:00.004-02:00

Idly Milagai Podi:Chutney Podi. Idly Podi. Idly with Ellu Podi. Madras, Murughan Idly Milagai Podi is quite famous! Although I couldnt perfect the recipe...I tried my level best!Ingredients:Urad dhal 1 cupDry red chilies 10-15 (bright red ones)Brown sesame seeds 2 spoonsCurry leaves 4 twigsSaltAsafoetida 1 pinchMethod:Dry roast each item, seperately and powder them togather!Serve to go with your

Prawns Fry

2009-07-06T19:56:00.007-02:00

Iral Thokku:Shrimps Pepper fry. Iral Milagu Varuval. Prawns Pepper Fry.I have been, long waiting for this small shrimps in the market. Small shrimps are absolute delicacies!Ingredients:Small shrimps 500 gramsPurple onions large 2SaltTurmeric 1/2 spoonChili powder 1 spoonPepper powder 2 spoonsCurry leaves 2 twigsMustard seeds 1/2 spoonCumin seeds 1/2 spoonTamarind paste 1/4 spoonOil 1/4 cup.Method

Brinjal or Eggplant Special Round-up

2009-06-27T11:38:00.028-02:00

Vellore Mullu Kathirikai SerwaThai Eggplants Masale CurryKathirikai Puli KuzhambuHot Italian Eggplants VaruvalBrinjal Mor KuzhambuEggplant ChutneyStuffed EggplantsBagara BainganBaingan ka BarthaEggplant Thayir PachadiVaangi BathEggplant Special Round-upEggplants are native to India. Proably the wild breed, was white in color, unpalatable, bitter, with full of thorns and round in shape. Constant

Quail in Country Style Curry

2009-06-26T10:31:00.008-02:00

Quail Curry:Kaadai Thanni Kuzhambu. Quail / Pheasant bird Curry. Ingredients:Quail - 2 (cut into small pieces)Green chilies 3 slicedOnion 1 gratedGinger 2" juliennedGarlic 6 cloves juliennedTomatoes 2 crushedSaltTurmeric 1/4 spoonChili powder 1 spoonPepper powder 1 spoonSesame oil few spoonCumin seedsCurry leavesCilantro to garnish.Method:In a wide vessel, heat oil. Add cumin,chilies and curry

Lemon Mint Cauliflower

2009-06-25T20:21:00.005-02:00

Lemon Mint Cauliflower:Lemony Cauliflowers. Tangy Cauliflower Poriyal. Neembu flavoured Gobi. Gobi Masala. Gobi Subzi.Cauliflowers and Potatoes are considered Vegetarian's chicken, at several places! So, it became compulsary for me to fix these veggies for my vegetarian companian and friends! Otherwise, why would I, in the hell care to fix these vegetables, right! According to me...making

Egg Rolls

2009-06-25T11:07:00.007-02:00

Egg Rolls:Sudden fix with left over stuff! Towards the end of the week, I tend to clean up all the left over stuff and make use of long lying eggs, vegetables and dough! Evening snack, ready in minutes!Ingredients:Rolling Sheets:All purpose - doughEgg white 1 - for egg washOil for bastingDry Flour for dusting.For the Stuffing's:Eggs 4SaltCarrots, beans, cabbage - thinly slicedGreen chilies 1

Cashewnuts Burfi

2009-06-23T20:01:00.008-02:00

Jeedipappu Pakam:Kaaju Chikki. Munthiri paruppu Burfi. Jeedipappu Chikki.Hyderabad, legendary sweet shop 'G.Pulla Reddy's special Jeedi pappu Pakam'!!! No one would have missed it at Hyderabad!! My friend Kranthi introduced me to this sweet! Myself and my friend Balaji used to stop at this shop...before leaving home(Tamil Nadu)! I never failed to carry this awesome sweet. One important thing

Garlic Naan

2009-06-22T22:52:00.012-02:00

Garlic Naan:Nothing much to say, when I was in India...relished this a big time, at the restaurants! Miss the fun here, but why to give up on 'naan' though! Hmmm, fixed it at home...pretty much home adopted version, absolutely no grilling! Just baked and broiled them...so howz that sounds to you?!!Ingredients:All purpose flour 2 cupsWarm water 1 cupSugar 1 teaspoonSalt as per tasteBaking soda 1

Tandoori Chicken

2009-06-18T23:06:00.009-02:00

Tandoori Chicken:Ingredients:Chicken 1 whole - cut into 4 (2 breasts and 2 thighs)Spices to be Toasted & Powdered:CinnamonClovesCardamomPeppercornsCoriander seedsTymol seedsChironjiSaffronOther Ingredients:Black SaltRegular SaltChili powder 1 spoonKashminri chili powder 1 spoonRed food color 1 spoonTurmeric 1/4 spoonLemon juice YogurtsGinger-garlic pasteOnion paste 2 spoonsMint paste 1/4 spoonFew

Chicken Special Round Up

2009-06-15T22:31:00.029-02:00

Chicken Special Roundup:Chicken, Chicken, Chicken...its all Chicken Today, Enjoy!!!Grilled Chicken BiriyaniGrilled Whole ChickenChicken BondaGinger ChickenArcot Chicken BiriyaniSaffron Chicken PilafJerk ChickenCornish Hen CurryCornish Hen ManchurianCountry Chicken Tomato CurryChicken PickleCountry Chicken SoupCountry Chicken FryTomato Chicken ThokkuNilgiri Chicken KormaCountry Chicken

Pepper Fish Curry

2009-06-14T12:54:00.008-02:00

Ginger-Pepper Fish Curry:Strong Spicy Fish Sauce. Ginger based Fish Curry. Pepper Fish Curry. Milagu Meen Kuzhambu. Miriyam Chappalu Pulusu. Inji Meen Kuzhambu.This is my favourite 'fishing spot' in the neighbourhood! My team had a short fishing trip few months ago, got bit lucky!! Mississippi is famous for its catfish and its panfried catfish recipe. But, I totally did this in my way,today. As

Chicken Chettinad Sandwich

2009-06-12T11:13:00.007-02:00

Chettinad Chicken Sandwich:Spicy Chicken Sandwich. Hot Chicken Sandwich.Whenever I am on long drive, I prepare my own food sometimes. Its better than eating at fast food joints. Its good to stay on track while dieting. One little deviation, then I am gone!! Traveling, makes me to gain weight! No proper exercise, eat at any new place, that allures you...meeting new people, always get carried away

Stuffed Tomatoes

2009-06-11T09:52:00.009-02:00

Stuffed Tomatoes:Best way to have fresh tomatoes is to either grill or bake them, with a hint of butter...its heaven!! Today I planned for snack meal dinner. It doesnt mess up your kitchen at all, so simple to fix!!Ingredients:Roma tomatoes 4-6Wild rice/brown rice/red rice 1 cupSaltGarlic crushedChili powder 1/2 spoonCilantro leaves fewButter 2 cubesCheese to garnish.Method:Slice a small part of

Stuffed Eggs

2009-06-08T20:20:00.006-02:00

Stuffed Eggs:Cheesey Rice stuffed Eggs. Cheesy rice balls.Eggs are essential part of my pantry! When I run out of the vegetables...its an easy solution! I fixed this recipe with left over rice, One could possibly come up with freshly prepared ones, of course! The idea is simple, I love eggs...hmmm, very scared to use lots of fatty yolk in my diet...so carefully avoided it!! Ingredients:Eggs 4-6 (

Saffron Chicken Pilaf

2009-06-06T14:09:00.007-02:00

Saffron Chicken Pulav:Saffron Chicken Pilaf. Cornish Hen Pilaf. Saffron Pilaf with Meat.Its been a while, I posted anything meat...my friends started asking me, whether I became a 'vegetarian' or what?? That's ridiculous, how can I became a vegetarian!! My friend Balaji used to tease me...'If I come by with one whole fried chicken and 4 white sheets, Malar will be ready to sign the damn white

Beet Root Greens Subzi

2009-06-03T10:30:00.005-02:00

Beetroot Greens Vepudu:Beet Root Greens Poriyal. Beet Root Greens Stir-fry. Beet Root-Peanuts stir-fry.My mommy adds peanuts to any bitter tasting greens like 'Moringha' or 'Radish Greens'. I pretty much used the same idea here! The leafy vegetable's saponins help to produce gastric juice in the body, which in turn renders good digestion! So including them in diet has become essential in today's

Methi Kitchedi

2009-06-01T00:23:00.013-02:00

Fenugreek Greens Kitchedi:Methi Kitchedi. Vendhiya Keerai Pongal/Pulav. Menthilu Annam. Greens Kitchedi. Greens-Rice Kitchedi.When it comes to gardening, I am a lazy goose. Though planting and sowing sounds all nice...its not so easy to maintain a plant for a whole year!! So, I prefer tender greens likes this...which grows pretty fast. Just matter of 2 weeks of caring, its ready to harvest!!

Curried Pasta

2009-05-28T19:00:00.004-02:00

Curried Pasta:Indianized Pasta dish. Spicy Pasta. Curry Flavoured Pasta.I pretty much Indianize anything that I like! I can't really help it, I love spicy food! Pasta is one of favourite food, although I make it in a usual way...today I was really playing in my kitchen!! Curry powder, Garlic, Thyme and Tomatoes really gave lots of flavour to this dish, I am glad that I fused!! Its easy to fix

Falafel

2009-05-17T10:12:00.014-02:00

Falafel:Middle East Falafel recipe. Middle East Fried Chickpea Fritters. Middle East form of Indian Vada!!One my friend's friend is doing her Ph.D(in International Studies)at The University of Mississippi. The interesting subject she chose was 'Studying the similarities between all the Southern Food'. I mean...below the equator(a rough scale)to see the similarities through food!I generally see

Mithai Mela - Special Round Up

2009-05-13T17:15:00.026-02:00

Halwa CandiesJack Fruit PayasamWheat HalwaMakkan PedaBoodhiBaasandhiNuts HalwaWalnut HalwaNuts KheerMilk KowaSugar Cane PongalBlack Gram KaliFruit HalwaAlmond HalwaMithai Mela - Special Round-Up:These recipes are going to Srivalli's Mithai Mela Event!!!

15 Minutes Cooking

2009-05-13T16:58:00.009-02:00

Masala PongalMilagu PongalGothumai KitchediWhen it comes to solo cooking, we'll always end up making a quick crock pot meal or a stir-fry for an accompainment! Generally such menu will be simple and easy to flip in minutes. Most of my dinner menus are all cooked under 15 minutes!! So here, I have listed some of my easy cooking recipes. Hope you all will enjoy it. These recipes are going to

Water Melon Sorbet

2009-05-13T15:20:00.008-02:00

Water Melon Sorbet:Water Melon Sarbeth. Tarpoosani Sharbeth.When I was a kid, we had 2-3 water melon vines in our garden. Each vine produces just one, but big, big, very big melon! The stumpy vine always spread on the ground to support their extraoridinary large fruit. It was fun getting up early morning and take a look at the fruit(how big it has grown today)!!! Nostalgic childhood