Some Indian Food recipes and Kitchen Tips

Tips on Indian Cooking

When I started cooking first I had to learn everything by trial and error. These are some of my recipes for my daughters who are both newly married [:-)] whenever they feel nostalgic for Mom's cooking. Others are also welcome !

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Chicken Coconut milk Korma

Chicken 1/2 kg (or mixed vegetables, chopped)
Onion 1/4 kg, chopped fine
1 tomato chopped fine
Green chillis 4 slit lengthwise
Dhania powder 3 tsp
turmeric 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic Paste 1 tsp
Thick coconut milk 1 cup
Salt to taste
oil 2 tsp
Jeera 1 tsp
aniseeds 1tsp
Curry leaves 1 sprig

Method:
Heat oil and put in the aniseeds and jeera. Add the curry leaves when they splutter.
Add the chopped onion and green chillis and saute till transparent.
Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
Add the tomatoes and saute with a tsp of salt till mashed.
Add the masala powders.
Add 2 cups of water and when it starts boiling add the washed chicken pieces, along with the rest of the salt.
When it is done, add the thick coconut milk and simmer for a few minutes on low flame stirring well.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Prawns Mango Coconut Curry

Prawns 1/2 kg
Oil 3 tsp
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
 1/2 tsp of fenugreek seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
Onions 2, chopped finely
2 tomatoes, chopped finely
Green chillis, slit lengthwise 2
Ginger Garlic Paste 1 tsp
Chilli, Dhania Jeera powder 2 tsp (1tsp dhania+1/2 tsp jeera + Red chillis 2-dry roasted and ground to a powder)
1 medium mango cut into 4 or 8 pieces.
Coconut milk(Thick) 1 cup
2 tsp of sombu(aniseeds) dry roasted and powdered
Salt 2tsp or as per taste

Method:
Clean the prawns and wash in water well. Immerse in water mixed with 1tsp turmeric and 1 tsp salt to get rid of the strong smell.

Heat 3 tsp oil. Put in 1/2 tsp of mustard and 1/2 tsp of fenugreek seeds. When they crackle add the curry leaves and green chillis.
Add the chopped onions and saute till golden. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute  for a minute.
Add the tomatoes and saute with a tsp of salt till it is mashed.
Add the masala powder and saute.
Add 2 cups of water. When it starts boiling add the mango pieces, with the remaining salt.
When half done, add the washed prawns and mix well.
When it is cooked (around 5 minutes, don't overcook), add the thick , thick)coconut milk and take it off heat when it just starts to simmer.
Sprinkle the sombu powder on top and serve with rice or rotis.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Vegetable curry

Potato 1, peeled and diced
Carrot 1, peeled and diced
Beans, 1 handful, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Cabbage, 1/2 cup, cut into small strips
Cauliflower, small, cut into florets
Green peas, peeled, 1/2 cup
Onion, chopped, 1 big
1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
1 tbsp oil
1 inch piece of cinnamon
2 pieces of clove
1 tsp of aniseeds
1 cardomom.
1tsp of chilli powder
2 tsp of coriander powder
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
1 or 2 tsp of salt

Method:
Heat 1 tbsp oil and put in 1 inch piece of cinnamon, 2 pieces of clove, 1 tsp of aniseeds and 1 cardomom.
When they crackle add the chopped onion and saute till transparent.
Add the cut vegetables and saute well
Add 1tsp of chilli powder, 2 tsp of coriander powder and 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder and about 1 or 2 tsp of salt according to your taste, along with 1 cup of water.
Pressurecook till done (about 5 minutes), not too mashed.
This can be used as a side dish for rotis or puris.
It can be used for making vegetable bondas or samosas or vegetable sandwiches. Use less water if it is used for these purposes.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Porivilangai urundai

Porivilangai Urundai

The name of the sweet ball means that the consumer may not know what it consists of. Usually it is very hard and needs to be broken using even a hammer sometimes! The traditional recipe has many nutritious ingredients.
Dry roast each of the following separately
Whole wheat : 200 gm
Parboiled rice: 200 gm
Channa Dal: 100 gm
Moong Dhal(Green Gram): 100 gm
Barley: 50 gm
Javvarisi(sabudhana): 50 gm

Add
Dry ginger: 1/2 inch piece

4 Cardamoms
Grind to a fine powder in the mill.
Cut small pieces of a coconut and roast it in a tablebspoon of ghee. Mix it in the powder.

Make thick syrup with 1 kg of Jaggery.

Method to make thick syrup

Heat grated jaggery with 2 tbsp of water. |When it melts strain it to remove dirt in it and heat in a thick bottomed pan again. When it starts boiling and gives off nice flavour and starts bubbling, put a drop in a small bowl of water to check if it is ready. If you are able to make a small ball out of the cooled drop, it means the syrup is ready.
Take it off the heat and mix in the powder while stirring continuously.
You should make balls of the dough, dipping your hand in cold water now and then to make the hot dough bearable for your skin.
Keep them on a plate to cool and store in airtight jars.

 Pottukadalai(Fried Gram) urundai:

As the fried gram is already fried you only need to add it to the thick syrup along with 1 tsp of cardamom powder and make balls out of it.

Kadalai (Groundnut) Urundai:

Dry roast groundnut and remove the skin. Make sweet balls with the thick syrup adding a tsp of cardamom powder for flavour.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Curd onion Raitha

Vengaya Thayir Pachadi:


1 cup thick curd
1 onion sliced thin
1/2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped fine
1 green chilli chopped fine (optional)
1/2 tsp salt

Mix all these well. It goes well with any type of biryani or Pulao as a side dish.

Potato Peas Vadai

Potato 2, cooked, peeled and mashed
Peas 1 cup, cooked and mashed
cornflour 2tsp
chilli powder 1/2 tsp
gonger garlic paste 1/2 tsp
fried gram powdered 1/2 cup
Grated cheese 2tsp
salt 1tsp Oil for frying

Method;

Mix all the above ingredients except the fried gram powder into a soft dough.
Add the fried gram powder and make a stiff dough, checking for salt to taste.
Heat oil and deep fry into vadai shape.
Serve hot with tomato ketch up.

Green Peas Pulao

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmathi Rice, soaked for half an hour, washed and drained just before cooking
1 cup Green peas
2 Green chillis, slit lengthwise
1/2 cup chopped coriander
1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
6 cloves of garlic and 1/2 inch piece ginger, chopped finely (or ground coarsely)
To season:
1 tbsp oil
1 inch piece cinnamon
2 cloves
1 cardamom
1 tsp cumminseeds

Method:
Heat the oil in a non stick deep pan.
Put in the seasoning ingredients together
When they crackle, add the chopped mint and coriander
Add the green chillis and ground garlic and ginger
Add the drained rice and saute on low flame till it changes colour
Add 2 to 2 and a half cups water and 1 tsp salt
Bring to a boil and then reduce the flame and cooke covered.
When rice is half done, stir in the peas and cook further.
When it is done, take it off the heat and serve hot with onion curd  pachadi.(Raitha) or plain Raitha



Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Sura Puttu

SURA fish (Shark)  1/4 kg

Sambar Onions 150 gm (Chopped fine)
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Green Chilli 3, slit lengthwise
Garlic 10 cloves, peeled and chopped
Curry leaves 1sprig
1 tsp aniseeds crushed coarsely
Salt to taste (about 1 to 2 tsp)
Oil 2 tsp
Method:
Clean, wash and steam or cook the fish with half the salt and turmeric.
Cool it, remove the bones and crush it into crumbs.
Heat oil in a wok and put in the crushed aniseeds and curry leaves.
Add the chopped onions, garlic and green chillis and saute till transparent.
Add the fish and the balance salt and mix well.
Reduce the flame and keep mixing it on slow fire till it resembles scrambled eggs.
This sura puttu is good for lactating mothers.

Friday, May 25, 2012

Instant sevai


There are many instant sevai varieties available in the market like rice sevai, ragi sevai and millet sevai which are easy to make.
For any of these instant sevai, the preparation is the same>
Place the sevai in a bowl.
Boil enough water to immerse the sevai and pour it into the bowl.
After a minute drain it onto a colander and pour cold water onto it to stabilize it, just as you do for pasta.
After the water is drained spread the sevai on a plate and let it cool.
Follow the steps for making uppuma, lemon rice, coconut rice etc., and use the sevai in lieu of rice and you get sevai upma, lemon sevai, coconut sevai etc.,

Sweet Sevai:
For sweet sevai, heat half cup sugar and half cup grated coconut in a pan over slow fire with a sprinkling of water. Add half tsp of cardamom powder for flavor Mix in the sevai and enjoy it as a sweet dessert preparation.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Bajra/ Millet/Maize Dosai


You can use idli batter for making some more dishes out of it.

ForBajra or millet dosai, take 1 cup of the bajra/millet/corn flour (readily available in super markets and healthfood stores) and 2 tbsp of idli batter. Mix well. Add 1 tsp of jeera, 1 tsp of chilli powder, 1 tsp each of chopped curry leaves and coriander leaves and salt to taste. Add enough water to make a pouring consistency.

(If you don't have idli batter, substitute 1/2 cup of rice flour, 1 tbsp of maida and 1 tbsp of sour curds.)

Make dosas using the method followed for adai.
 
In Tamil these flours are called 'kambu/ கம்பு  for millet and cholam/ சோளம்  for maize along with ragi which is called kezhvaragu/கேழ்வரகு .