Chettinad Chicken curry

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1/2 kg / 500 grams

Shallots /small onions – 1 cup sliced

Tomatoes - 2 medium size

Ginger garlic paste-2 tbsp

Green chillies- 3

Curry Leaves - a small handful

Oil - 2 tbsp

Black pepper powder-1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp

Coriander Leaves to garnish

For making masala:

Coriander Seeds  - 3 tbsp

Dry Red Chilli pepper- 4 or 5 (to your spice level)

Fennel Seeds  - 2 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Cinnamon Stick - 5 stick

Whole Peppercorns - 2 tsp

Cardamom Pods  - 5

Star Anise - 1 

Cloves - 4

Fresh Coconut - 1/4 cup

 Preparation:

Cut the chicken into medium size, marinate it with salt, turmeric powder, black pepper powder and lemon juice. Let it stand for 15 to 20 minutes.

For making the chettinad masala, you need to dry roast all the spices. Heat a pan or kadai put all the spices except coconut till it turns slightly brown. Now add in coconut and roast till the coconut turns light golden. Remove them to a mixer and grind them to a smooth paste. Add water accordingly.

Heat oil in a deep pan, when the oil heats up add in the sliced small onions and saute till it turns translucent.Add in curry leaves,green chilies sliced and ginger garlic paste. Saute for a couple of minutes.

Now add the marinated chicken and mix well.  You can see lot of water coming out of the chicken. Add the cubed tomatoes to it.  Also add the grinded chettinad masala,salt to taste and mix it well. Add water as required.  Reduce the flame and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Once you find that the chicken pieces are almost cooked increase the flame so that the gravy becomes thick.When the gravy gets thicker turn off the heat and garnish it with coriander leaves.

Notes:

• As of my knowledge, chettinad chicken curry is really spicy. I reduced my spices especially pepper-cones. Some people grind green chilies along with ginger and garlic for make it spicier. 
• Small onions or shallots are always best for chettinad recipes. It tastes better.
• You can add water according to your desired consistency.  

This is such a mouth watering dish. Enjoy it !

Kerala Egg Roast

Ingredients:

Hard boiled eggs – 5

Onion – 2 big

Fennel seeds (perumjeerakam) – ½ tsp

Ginger -2tbsp

Garlic-2 no’s

Green chillies-2 no’s

Red chilli powder(Kashmir)  – 1- 2tsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Coriander powder – 4 tsp

Garam Masala- 1tsp

Tomatoes- 1 medium

Warm water – ½ cup

Curry leaves – few

Oil – 5 tbsp

Salt to taste

Preparation:

In a food processor, mince together onions, ginger, garlic, green chilies and curry leaves. Chop them well. Heat oil in a wok. Add the fennel seeds. Into it add the above mixture.. Saute well until the onion mixture turns brown in color. Add Kashmir chili, turmeric, coriander,garam masala, salt and saute for 2-3 min. Add chopped tomatoes to it. Sauté for another 3-4 minutes. Add water to the paste and allow it to boil.

Cut a few gashes lengthwise in the egg white or cut them in half and the egg to the wok and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Check for the gravy consistency. If it is too dry splash a bit of water to it. Switch off heat and serve hot with plain rice, bread or roti

Andhra spicy mutton curry

Ingredients:

Mutton/ lamb : 1-2lbs

Onion : 2

Tomato : 3

Oil : as required

Curry Leaves : 2 spouts

Coriander Leaves : to garnish

Ginger & Garlic Paste : 1 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric powder : 2 tsp

Cumin seeds : 1/4 tsp

 To grind:

Cloves : 4

Cinnamon : 1″

Bay Leaves : 1

Cardamom : 3

Shredded Coconut : 1/4 cup

Coriander Powder : 1 tbsp

Whole red chilies : 4-5

Whole Black pepper : 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp

Fennel seeds : 1/2 tsp

Onion : 1/4 cup

Method of Preparation:

Pressure cook the mutton with one cup of water, cumin seeds, salt and turmeric powder for four to five whistles or till it becomes tender.

Heat a pan and fry the ingredients like cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, red chili, whole black pepper, cumin seeds and fennel seeds . Let it cool and keep it aside.

Now in the same pan fry add the onions quarter cup, till it becomes translucent and keep it aside.

Add the remaining ingredients like coconut and coriander powder. Grind all them all together into a coarse paste.

In a wide pan add oil and the remaining onions; fry them till it becomes translucent.

Then add the ginger garlic paste fry them for few minutes add tomatoes. When its cooked, add the pressure cooked mutton and sauté them all together for 3-4 minutes.

Add required salt and curry leaves. Let them cook in heat for 3-4 minutes in simmer heat. Finally add the ground mixture and a bit of water if needed. Mix it all together let it sit in the heat for 5 -10 minutes.

When the oil starts to separate at the top, remove from heat and garnish it with coriander leaves. Serve with white rice or rotis.

Kerala Chicken fry

Ingredients :
Chicken thighs - 2 lb
(cleaned and cut into medium pieces)
Black pepper - 2 tbsp
Chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Garlic pods - 4 nos
Ginger - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Graram masala - 1tsp
Salt 
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Green chillies - 2 nos
Onion - 2 nos
Oil - 2 cups


Preparation:
Grind black pepper, chilly powder, garlic, ginger, turmeric powder and salt to a paste.
Marinate the chicken for 30 mins.
Heat the oil and fry the chicken pieces until it is cooked and slightly brown. keep it aside.
Use the same oil (but very little) to saute curry leaves, green chilies and onion until its golden brown. 
Add the fried chicken to it saute well for 2-3 mins, add garam masala and saute for another minute.
Serve warm.

Naadan Meen Vattichathu ( Kerala Fish Curry)

Ingredients:
Fish cut into small pieces –1 lb
Red Chilly Powder – 1 tbsp
Kashmiri Chilly Powder – 2tbsp
Turmeric Powder – 1tsp
Finely chopped ginger -1 1/2 tbsp
Finely chopped garlic - 1 1/2 tbsp
Finely chopped Shallots – 2 tbsp
KudamPuli/ Kokum– 3
Fenugreek Powder – 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves – 2 Sprig
Cococnut Oil -as needed
Salt – to taste


Preparation:
Heat oil in a pan and pop mustard seeds.Add 1 sprig of curry leaves to it.
Add chopped ginger and garlic  and fry for few minutes.Now add chopped shallots and fry well till brown.
In a bowl mix together chilly powder and turmeric powder adding a little water to make a smooth paste.
Add this chilly paste to the pan and again saute till oil separates.
In a separate bowl dip kokum in 1/2 cup water and keep aside.
Add water to the pan and mix in the kudampuli to it and let it boil.After a minute or so add the fish pieces.
Add fenugreek powder and simmer for 10 more minutes stirring occasionally.Add more water if necessary.
Before switching it off,garnish it with 1 tbsp of coconut oil and the other sprig of curry leaves.
The dish will be more tastier as it stays.

Beef Ularthiyathu( Beef Roast)

Ingredients 


To Pressure cook
Beef - 1 kg (cut into cube size)
Coriander Powder – 2tbsp
Chilli Powder – 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Pepper Powder – 1 tbsp
Ginger – Garlic Paste – 2 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Vinegar - 1tsp


To saute 
Green Chillies – 5 nos
Curry leaves -2 sprig
Red Onions - 1 medium
Oil - as required


Preparation


In a medium pan add all the ingredients except beef to pressure cook. 
Dry roast it for 4-5 minutes on a medium steady flame , until aroma comes and the masala turns brown.
Switch off the heat, add this beef along with vinegar, salt and marinate it. Keep this overnight and the next day pressure cook it untill the meat is well done. if there is water in the beef keep it in a low flame and reduce the water. 
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed cooking pan add onions and curryleaves saute for 3-5 minutes until the onion is done and soft.Add green chillies saute till they all start to turn brown.Add the cooked beef saute well for a fewer minutes untill it turns dark and dry.Serve warm.


Note: If you want to add extra masala add it along with the onions. Meat does contain enough water in it, So for the safety side add 1/4 cup of water to overcook it.

Attirachi Ularthiyathu(Mutton Roast)

Ingredients

Mutton -  1 Kg

Small onions (scallions)- 8  - 10

Black peppr corns - 3 tsp

Kashmiri Chili Powder - 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder -1/3 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tbsp

Garam masala powder- 1/2tsp

Ginger- garlic past 1 tbsp

Green chilly- 3

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Red onion - 1 medium 

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Coconut oil - 2 tbsp

Salt - as required

Preparation

Grind small onions, pepper corns add it this to the mutton along with the chili powder, coriander, turmeric and garam masala. Add salt and green chilies. Mix it well. Cook this in a pressure cooker. Meat does contain water so add only the required water to cook it. When its cooked and the water is still there,lower the flame and reduce the water. When its dry, add the oil in a sauce pan  add mustard seeds when its pop add curry leaves and sliced onion, saute until the onion is tender then add the mutton and fry it until its dry and fried. serve warm. 

note: For heat add black pepper powder while frying. 

Meen Mappas ( Fish in Coconut Milk)

Ingredients

Fish(any kind I used Salmon)- 1 lb.

Shallots or pearl onions - 1/2 cup

Ginger (chopped) - 1 tbsp

Garlic (chopped) - 1 tbsp

Green chilies - 4 or 5 no:s

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek powder- 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder- 1 tbsp

Kashmiri chili powder- 2 tbsp

Tomato chopped- 1 small

Kudampuli or Kokum soaked in water- 2 -3 pieces

Coconut milk (thick and thin) - each 1 cup

 (if you are buying canned coconut milk, make 1 cup of thin coconut milk by adding water) 

Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Mustard seeds -1tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste.

Preparation

Heat oil in a pan,add mustard seeds when they pop add curry leaves, ginger and garlic, saute well. Then add chopped shallots and green chilies to it saute till it turns golden brown.Into it add the chili powder, turmeric powder, fenugreek powder and coriander powder, saute until an aroma comes from it, may be for 2-3 minutes on a medium flame.Add chopped tomatoes and salt, saute till its cooked completely.Now add thin coconut milk Stir well. Add kokum to it and boil it for a minute or so. Then add the fish pieces, do not stir it. Cover it with lid and cook it well. When the fish is cooked add the thick coconut milk to it and swirl the pan.Cook it in a very lower flame for a minute or so.  Serve warm.

Tips:

If you want to feel the heat and sourness of the fish curry, do not serve it on the day it cooked. Leave it overnight and heat it on the very next day,have it with rice or roti or kappa. 

The fish absorbs all the heat,sour,salt from the gravy, and its so yummy hmmm...