KADALA CURRY IN COCONUT GRAVY

Ingredients

1. Kadala( Black Chana ) - 1 glass
2. Onion- 2 Nos
3. Coconut Milk Powder- 2 tbsp
4. Tomato- 1 No chopped
5. Ginger- Garlic paste- 1 tsp
6. Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
7. Garam Masala- 2 tsp
8. Red Chilly Powder- 1/2 tsp
9. Green Chilly - 1 No
10. Curry leaves 
11. Salt
12. Oil as required

How to Cook :

1. Soak the chana overnight .
2. Cook the chana in the cooker to  4 whistle.
3. If required cook for 2 or 3 whistles more. Drain the chana and keep this aside. 
4. Mix the coconut milk powder with  1/4 cup of water and keep this aside.
5. Add oil to the pan , when it is hot add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute till the raw smell of it goes.
6. Add the onions , green chilly, curry leaves and saute till it turn translucent.
7. Add the garam masala, chilly powder and the turmeric powder ansd saute for 2 minutes.
8. Add the tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes.
9. Switch off the flame and let it cool.
10. Now take some cooked gravy and with little water grind in a mixie.
11. Add the grinded mixture with 1 glass of water and required salt to the cooking pan .Bring to boil.
12. Now add the drained chana  and on low flame close the pan and cook for 5 minutes.( make sure you add more water as required for the gravy if you need)
13. After 5 minutes , add the coconut milk , bring to boil.Switch off the flame.
14. Garnish with curry leaves .
15. Serve Hot with Noolappam / idiappam / Vellaappam !!

Rasam With Lemon

Ingredients. 

1. Whole coriander- 2 tbsp
2. Jeera - 1 tsp
3. Garlic- 8 pods
4. Whole Pepper - 10 Nos
5. Curry  leaves - few
6. Tomato- 2 No
7. Lemon - 1/2 a piece 
8. Green Chilly - 2 Nos
9. Mustard -1 tsp
10. Salt As required.
11. Oil - as required.

How to Prepare

1. Add  coriander, jeera and pepper to a pan and fry it till the coriander start to turn light brown.
2. Grind the above mixture with chopped curry leaves, garlic to a fine powder.
3. Add oil to the pan , when it is hot , add mustard seeds and let it splutter.
4. Add the grinded powder , saute for few seconds.
5. Now add 1/4 cup water and saute well. 
6. Add the chopped toamtoes and on low flame cook it it turn tender.
7. Now add 2 glass of water , lower the flame, cook for 10 minutes .
8. Add salt as required.Now add the lemon drops and bring to boil on high flame.
9. Add the coriander leaves/ curyr leaves .
10. Serve hot with rice and pappad.

Cabbage Carrot Thoran

Ingredients :

1. Cabbage grated to fine pieces- 5 Cups
2. Carrots grated - 2 Cups
3. Onion  - 2 Nos chopped
4. Coconut grated-1 glass
5. Ginger cubes- 1 tbsp
6. Green Chilly slitted- 2 Nos
7. Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
8. Chilly Powder- 1 tsp
9. Salt as required-
10. Oil- 1 and a half tbsp
11. Curry Leaves- 10 Nos
12. Red Chilly- 2 No
13. Mustard- 1 tsp

How to Cook :

1. Mix the grated cabbage ,carrots, onion , ginger , green chilly ,turmeric powder, chilly powder , salt , 1/2 tbsp oil with your hands and keep this aside for half n hour.
2. Heat pan and add oil , when it is hot add the mustard , red chilly and dal pieces. 
3. When it splutter , add the mixed cabbage carrots. Mix it well .
4. Close the pan and cook for sometime till the cabbage, carrots  are  cooked.(approximately 15 to 20 mins ).
5. When it is done , add the curry leaves and grated coconut. 
6. Mix in low flame for 1 minute .
7. Serve hot with rice.

Mango Payasam / Mango Kheer / Mambhazha Payasam

Ingredients :

1. Mango - 1 big very ripe
2. Jaggery grated- 1 Cup
3. First Coconut Milk - 6 tsp coconut milk pwoder mixed with 1  to 1 half cup water.     
4. Second Coconut Milk - 1 tbsp of thick coconut milk
5. Cardamon Powdered- 1 tsp
6. Cashewnuts - 10 nos
7. Raisins - 10 Nos
8. Ghee- 2 tsp

How To Cook :

1. Boil 1/2 Cup water and when it come to boil ,add the grated jaggery , let it melt fully.
2. Strain the jaggery syrup.Keep this aside.
3. Fry the cashewnuts and raisins , keep this aside.
4. Cut the mangoes  and cook the mangoes with 1/4 cup water in low flame for 5 minutes.
5. After 5 minutes mash  the mangoes .Cook for sometime so that the excess water get evaporated off.( max of 2 to 3 minutes )
6. Now add the jaggery syrup , cooked mangoes and mix well.
7. Cook in low flame for 10 minutes.
8. When the syurp starts to thicken , add 1 tsp ghee and again cook for 2 to 3 minutes.You will see the mixture start to thicken.Bubbles start to form.
9. Now add the first coconut milk and cook in low flame for 15 minutes.
10. You will see the payasam start to thicken.
11. Now add the second coconut milk , cardamon powder , fried cashewnuts and raisins.
12. Serve hot !!!

Onion Tomato Uthappam

Ingredients :

1. Dosa Batter prepared -  1 bowl enough to make 6 dosas.
2. Onion - 2 No chopped to very tiny pieces
3. Tomato - 1 no chopped to very thin piece
4. Green Chilly - 1 No chopped
5. Ginger Chopped-  1 tsp
6. Curry Leaves chopped- few
7. Asafoetida
8. Oil as required
9. Salt as required.

How to Cook.

1. Mix the chopped onion,tomato,ginger,greenchilly,curry leaves and salt,keep this aside.
2. Mix little salt , asafoetida with the dosa batter and keep this aside.
3. Get the dosa thatte / iron griddle  ,oil, Tissue paper  ready for cooking dosa. 
4. When the dosa thatte is hot ,wipe the dosa thatte with oil using a tissue paper. ( You can also use a cloth piece or Onion for wiping the dosa thatte ) .
5. Pour the dosa batter on the dosa thatte.
6. Make concentric circles on the batter with the spatula. 
7. Spread the chopped onion tomato mixture over it.
8. Apply oil over the dosa
9. Cover the dosa with the top of a pan , and cook dosa in low flame for a minute.
10. When the dosa is cooked, pass the spatula around the edges of the dosa to ensure dosa dont stick to the pan.
11. When  cooked , flip the dosa to the other side and again  cover with a pan and cook for 1 minute or less.
12. Now cook for few seconds on high flame.
13. When both sides are cooked, take the dosa from the dosa thatte.
14. Serve hot with chutneys. 

Chicken Biriyani

This is a very special chicken biriyani   .I went through different kinds of Chicken biriyani recipes and this is kind of a blend of Lucknow biriyani (Awadhi  biriyani ) dum style and kerala style biriyani .

Ingredients :

1. Chicken Biriyani -   1 kg
2. Onion - 5  big nos cut  thin lengthwise 
3. Ginger paste-  1 tbsp
4. Garlic paste - 2 tbsp
5. Ginger cut into long strips - 2 tbsp
6. Bay leaves  - 4 Nos
7. Star Anise- 2 nos
8. Cloves- 6 nos
9. Cinnabon sticks- 2 No
10. Black Cardamon - 2 Nos
11. Green Cardamons - 2 Nos
12. Chopped Coriander - 1 Cup
13. Chopped pudina - 1 Cup
14. Saffron - a pinch
15. Milk - 1/4 cup
16. Whole coriander - 2 tbsp
17. Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
18. Shahi Jeera - 1 tsp
19. Garam Masala for chicken gravy-  4 tsp  
20. Curd- 2 Cups
21. Green Chilly slitted- 3 nos
22. Oil as required
23. Ghee as required
24. Lemon Drops 
25. Maida flour prepared as required for final baking stage.
26. Garam Masala for final stage - 2 tsp

For Marination 

1. Curd- 2 tbsp
2. Chilly Powder- 1 tsp
3. Pepper Powder- 1 /2 tsp
4. Ginger Garlic paste- 1 tbsp
5. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
6. Salt as required.

How to Cook

Stage 1 :  Initial Preparation

1. Fry the 2 onions  till it turn dark brown.Keep this aside.
2. Soak the saffron in milk and keep this aside.
3. Add the whole coriander, cumins seeds and shahi jeera to a nonstick pan with out oil.Saute for a minute till it start to turn brown .After a while , powder it in a mixie  and keep this aside.

Stage 2 :Marination and Frying Chicken pieces

1. Initially marinate the chicken pieces with the ingredients for marination for 1 hour .
2. Pour oil to the pan , when it is hot , fry the chicken pieces.
3. Fry for around 15 minutes adjusting the flame till it start to turn golden brown.
4. Make sure the chicken  is not fully cooked.

Stage 3 : Preparing the chicken gravy

1. Add ghee to the pan , when it is hot , add the Bay leaves  -2  Nos,Star Anise- 1 no,Cloves-3 nos,Cinnabon sticks- 1 No and saute for a minute.
2. Now add the ginger garlic paste , saute till the raw smell goes.
3. Add the onions ( 3 nos ) and saute till it turn translucent.
4. Add the green chillies ,powdererd masala and garam masala . Saute for a minute.
5. Now add the curd , chopped coriander , chopped pudina ,chicken pieces and cook in low flame for another 15 to 20 minutes .(If you want add  1 Cup water as required / as how much gravy you need for the chicken)

Stage 4  : Cooking Rice.

1. Wash the basmati rice and soak in water for around 20 minutes.
2. After 20 minutes, drain out the water . Keep aside the rice .
3. Add water to the bowl for cooking rice.
4. Add the spices  ( Bay leaves  -2  Nos,Star Anise- 1 no,Cloves-3 nos,Cinnabon sticks- 1 No, Black and Green Cardamon - 2 nos ) , ghee to the water to cook rice.
5. Now when the water start to boil , add the rice , enough salt , lemon drops .
6. Cook for sometime , keep checking how much the rice is cooked.
7. It should not be fully cooked , but 90 % cooked.
8. Keep the rice aside to cool

Stage 5  :Final Baking Stage 

1. Take the pan to cook the biriyani and on the bottom of the pan , sprinkle ghee and spread it over.
2. Now add the chicken gravy to the bottom.
3. Add a layer of rice above the chicken gravy .
4. Sprinkle saffron milk , powdered garam masala , fried onions , chopped pudina and coriander,ginger strips over the rice.
5. Repeat the same until all the rice and chicken are over  with the rice at the top.
6. Now at last add the saffron milk , powdered garam masala , fried onions , chopped pudina and coriander,ginger strips over the rice.
7. Also sprinkle ghee over the top.
8. Now take the maida dough , roll it and spread it around the edges of the pan .
9. Close the pan and make sure you press the lid to the pan so that it gets closed airtight .
10.  Now cook on high  flame for 10 minutes.After 10 minutes , steam will start coming out through the maida dough  and you can get the tempting aroma.
11.  At this stage, cook on low flame for 20 minutes.( You can alternatively use a dosa tawa and place the biriyani vessel over it and cook on low flame )
12.  Now your chicken  biriyani will be ready.Serve hot with pickles, pappad  and salads.

Note : Please refer my recipie for Hyderabad Dum Biriyani for  the final baking stage of biriyani with pictures to refer.

Tapioca Stew / Tapioca in Thick Coconut Milk Gravy/ Kappa Stew

Ingredients 

1. Onion- 1 Large No
2. Tapioca -  1 big
3. Ginger Chopped-  tbsp
4. Green Chilly- 1 No
5. First Coconut Milk  - 2 Tbsp coocnut milk powder mixed with 2 cup water 
6. Second Coconut Milk - 2 tbsp mixed in /4 cup water 
7. Salt as required
8. Curry leaves 
9. Oil -1 tbsp

How to Cook

1. Clean the tapioca and remove the outer layer and cut into square pieces.
2. Cook tapioca initially in a bowl of water . Close the bowl and cook for 20 minutes.It will be almost cooked.Drain out the cooked water .
3. Transfer the cooked tapioca , green chilly, salt,curry leaves ,onion chopped, ginger chopped and the first milk and cook to 3 whistles.
4. After a while , gently mash the tapioca well with a spoon .
5. Now add the second coocnut milk , bring to boil .
6. Pour  1 tbsp oil over the curry and garnish with curryleaves.
7. Add oil and garnish with Curry Leaves.
8. Serve hot with appam.

Vendakka Fry /Bhendi Fry/Ladies Finger Fry

Ingredients

1. Ladies Finger - 25 Nos
2. Chilly Powder- 1 tsp
3. Oil - 1 tbsp for marination
4. Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp
5. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
6. Salt as required
7. Curry Leaves for garnishing.
8. Oil for shallow frying

How to Prepare

1. Soak in salt water for half n hour.
2. Drain it  and keep this aside.
3. Cut both the edges of ladies finger.Chop into thin slices.
4. Marinate the slices with ingredients from 1 to 6 . Keep this aside for 20 minutes.
5. Pour oil to the pan , when it is hot , shallow fry the bhendi slices . Adjust the flame as required.
6. Garnish with curry leaves.
7. Serve hot with rice and curd!!!

Spicy Chilly Chicken

Ingredients 

1. Chicken boneless cut into cubes  - 3/4kg
2. Onion - 1 No cut into square size
3. Capsicum chopped to square pieces  - 1 No
4. Ginger cut into small pieces- 1 tbsp
5. Garlic cut into small pieces- 3 tbsp
6. Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
7. Pepper Powder- 1 tsp
8. Garam Masala - 1 tsp
9. Star Anise crushed- 2 Nos
10. Kashmiri Chilly Powder - 1 tsp
11. Whole red chilly - 3 no crushed
12. Soya Sauce- 11/2  tsp
13. Chilly Sauce- 1  tsp
14. Tomato Sauce -  1 tsp
15. Green Chilly - 1 No slitted
16. Egg - 1 No
17. Oil - as required
18. Salt - as required
19. Coriander Leaves for garnishing

Ingredients for  marination:

1. Lemon drops
2. Turmeric Powder - 1 /2 tsp
3. Salt as required
4. Pepper Powder- 1/2 tsp
5. Whole red chilly crushed - 5 No
6. Soya Sauce- 1  tsp
7. Chilly Sauce- 1  tsp
8. Tomato Sauce -  1 tsp
9. Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tbsp

How to Cook

1. Clean the chicken well.
2. Cut the chicken into small square pieces.
3. Marinate the chicken with ingredients for marination for 1 hour to  2 hours.
4. After 1/ 2  hours, add beaten egg to the marinated chicken , mix well and leave it for 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Pour oil to the pan and when it is hot stir fry the chicken pieces . Make sure the chicken is not fully  cooked.Keep this aside.
6. Pour 2 tbsp oil to the pan , add the crushed chilly , saute for 1 minute.
7. Now add the ginger and garlic chopped , crushed star anise. Saute for a  minute.
8. Add the onions , slitted green chilly and saute the onions.Make sure it doesn't start to turn brown 
9. Transfer the  capsicum to the cooked onion with required salt and turmeric powder. Stir fry  for 5 minutes. 
10. Add ,soya sauce, chilly sauce , tomato sauce,pepper powder,garam masala , kashmiri chilly powder , saute for 2 minutes.
11. Add the chicken pieces  , mix it well and saute in low flame for sometime till the sauces all are mixed with the chicken well.
12. Again stir for on high flame for 2 minutes.
13. Add salt if required  .
14. Garnish chopped coriander and serve hot with fried rice.

Indian Style Home Made KFC

Home made KFC is easy if you have the right ingredients .I used skinless chicken .But it is always good to use the skinned chicken.This idea of making KFC was decided instantly and didnot get time to think for buying skinned chicken :-)

I got this recipe from my husband.He made this for me today :-)

Ingredients :

1. Chicken Legs - 4 No   ( preferably use skinned chicken )  
2. Onion rings for garnishing
3. Egg- 1 No
4. Milk - 2 tbsp
5. Maida / All puprpose flour- 1 Cup/ as required
6. Salt 
7. Pepper Powder- 1 tsp
8. Chilly Powder- 1 tsp
9. Garlic paste- 1 tbsp ( preferably garlic powder - 1 tbsp )
10. Ginger paste- 1 tsp ( preferable ginger powder - 1 tsp)
11. Onion Powder - 1 tsp ( optional if you  dont get  it but it adds taste )
12. Oregano - 1/4 tsp
13. Oats / Bread crumbs - as requried.( optional )

Ingredients for First Marination  : 

1. Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
2. Curd- 2 tbsp
3. Lemon drops 
4. Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
5. Chilly powder- 1 tsp

How to Cook

It is not necessary to use onion powder , but definitely it adds taste  to your KFC.
Generally we use skinned chicken. IF you are using the skinned chicken you need not roll the marinated chicken in oats or bread crumbs.
But since i used skinless chicken , to give it that  KFC look , i rolled the marinated chicken in oats. You can instead use breadcrumbs as per your choice.
But the taste of this  KFC  is yummy . 
Now to the exact recipe!!

1. Initially marinate the chicken with the ingredients for first marination .Keep this aside for 1 to 2 hours.
2. Now mix the ingredients from ( 5 to 12 ) in a bowl and keep this aside.
3. Beat the egg and mix it with milk . Whisk it well . Keep this aside.
4. Transfer the oats / breadcrumbs in a plate and keep this aside.
5. Now take each of the marinated chicken legs and dip in the egg milk batter first.
6. Secondly roll it over the maida powder prepared . 
7. Third again roll it in egg milk batter 
8. Fourth , roll in the oats.
9. Last again roll it in the maida powder.
10. Deep fry the chikcen for 10 minutes in low flame.Make sure you stir in between.
11. When ti turn golden colour , you crispy yummy KFC is ready !!
12. Have it hot with sauce !!!

Chicken Curry in Thick Coconut Gravy

Ingredients :

1. Chicken pieces washed and cleaned - 1 kg
2. Onions - 3 No
3. Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
4. Chicken Curry Masala - 5 tbsp
5. Fresh Ginger Garlic Paste- 2tbsp
6. Curry Leaves 
7. Coconut Milk Powder- 5 tbsp
8. Green Chillies cut lengthwise- 2 No
9. Salt as required
10. Oil -3 tbsp / as required

How to Cook :

1. Mix the coocnut milk powder in  1/2 glass luke warm water and keep this aside.
2. Add oil to the pan and when it is hot, add the ginger garlic paste , saute till the raw smell goes .
3. Add onions , green chilles, curry leaves  and saute well till it turn translucent .
4. Add the chicken curry masala and saute for 3 minutes on low flame and 1 minute on high flame.
5. Add the chicken pieces , salt and mix well .Saute for 5 to 10 minutes so that the masalas get mixed with the chicken well.
6. Add 1 to 1 1/2 cup water and bring to boil.
7. Now close the pan and cook in low flame for 30 minutes minimum. Make sure you turn the chicken pieces in between or else it might get sticked to the bottom of the pan.
8. Now open the pan and cook till the gravy start to thicken.
9. Now add the coconut milk and again cook for 5 minutes / more till the gravy start to thicken  on low flame .
10. Garnish with curry leaves
11. Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Unnakaya

Unnakaya is a malabari dish  made with ripe banana.

INGREDIENTS :

1. Kerala Ripe banana  / Nendrapzham ( if very ripe banana is 100 % ripe ,  take bananas of  70 to 80% ripe) - 2 Nos
2. Grated Coconut - 1/2 Cup
3. Cashew Nuts  and Raisins- 1/2 Cup
4. Ghee- 2 tbsp
5. Sugar- 4 tbsp
6. Cardamon powdered- 1/2 tsp
7. Oil for shallow frying.

How To Cook :

FOR THE FILLING

1. Crush the cashewnuts, raisins just for one round in a mixie. 
2. Heat pan add 2 tbsp ghee to the pan .
3. When it is hot , transfer the grated coconut , cashewnuts , raisin , sugar and cardamon powder, saute in low flame for 3 minutes and fry on high flame for a minute. Keep this aside for the filling.
4. Cut the banana into 3 halves.
5. Steam the banana in a steamer for 10 minutes until it is soft. Make sure you donot overcook the bananas.
6. Now when it is still warm , remove the outer skin of the bananas.
7. Cut into half and remove the black seeds.
8. Now still warm , mash it well with a spoon  and later when it start to cool down , mash well with your hand to a dough form.( You need not add  any water as we have taken ripe bananas)
9. Now make small balls out of the bananas like we do for chappathi and flatten it on your palm to a small circular shape.
10. Add the filling onto the middle of the circle and close it and slightly elongate by keeping between both your palms to get an oval shape.
11. Heat oil in a pan and shallow  fry the banana balls .
12. Keep on moving the banana balls until  all the sides start to turn golden brown.
13. Serve hot !!!

Vegetable Manchurian

For the vegetable balls 

1. Mixed Vegetables chopped very thin   - 3 Cups ( i took carrots , beans , cabbage and green peas,capsicum with the proportion of cabbage and capsicum less )
2. Green Chilly - 2 No chopped
3. Ginger garlic paste- 1 tbsp
4. Corn Flour- 2 tsp
5. Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
6. Chilly Powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Salt as required
8. Coriander leaves chopped
9. Maida /  All purpose flour- 1/2 cup or as required to get a thick dough
10. Maida to dip before fryign the kofthas.
11. Oil for frying

How to  make the  vegetable balls  

1. Initially steam cook the chopped vegetables for 10 minutes.
2. As soon as the vegetables are done , mash the vegetables well , and add the rest of the ingredients and mix it well to make a dough .Add water as required.
3. Mix it well enough to make small balls.
4. Heat pan and add oil  enough for frying
5. Roll the balls in maida powder.
6. Shallow fry the rolled balls. Keep turning after 1 minute.
7. Keep the fried balls aside.

How to Cook the Manchurian gravy

Ingredients :

1. Onion cut into square- 3 No
2. Capsicum cut into square -3 No
3. Garam Masala- 1tbsp
4. Chopped Ginger- 1 tbsp
5. Chopped garlic - 1 tbsp
6. Chopped green chilly- 1 tbsp
7. Soya Sauce- 3tbsp
8. Red Chilly Sauce- 2 tbsp
9. Tomato Sauce- 1 tbsp
10. Salt as reuired
11. Coriander leaves chopped
12. Oil as required

How to Cook the vegetable manchurian

1. Heat oil in a pan and when it is hot , add the chopped ginger , garlic and green chilly . Saute for few minutes.
2. Add the onions and saute for sometime.
3. Add the capsicum and saute till it is cooked.
4. Add the garam masala and saute for a minute.
5. Add the sauces and saute on high flame for 2 minutes.
6. Add the veegtable balls , coriander leaves chopped and close the pan , cook for 5 minutes on low flame.