Brussel Sprouts Subzi

Though not a very commonly used vegetable in Indian cooking, Brussel Sprouts have a certain flavor that is so familiar! Yup, they look a miniature version of a cabbage and the taste is very close to it too.

Ingredients:
Brussel Sprouts – 1 approx 500 gm quartered

Oil – 1 tbsp

Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek Seeds – 1/4 tsp

Urad Daal – 1 tsp

Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp

Turmeric – 1/4 tsp

Curry Leaves – few

Onion – 1 small finely chopped

Tomatoes – 1 med chopped

Sambar Powder – 2 tsp

Salt – to taste

Tomato Sauce – 1/4 cup

Tamarind Paste – 1/2 tsp

Red Chili Powder – to taste

Method:
1. Heat Oil in a medium size pan on medium heat.

2. Once hot, add the Mustard Seeds and allow them to pop.

3. Add in Fenugreek Seeds and Urad Daal, mix and let the daal turn light golden in color.

4. Add in Asafoetida, Turmeric Powder, Curry Leaves and mix.

5. Right after that add in the Onions and Tomatoes and allow them to soften a bit.

6. Once they are soft, add in the Salt, Red Chili Powder and Sambar Powder and mix.

7. Add in the Tomato Paste and the Tamarind Paste and allow it to come to a boil.

8. At this time you can also do the taste test.

9. Once the taste test is done, add in the Brussel Sprouts and mix well but gently.

10. Cover and allow them to cook stirring periodically.

11. While stirring if you feel that they are drying up and burning, sprinkle some water, mix, cover and cook.

12. Once done, take off the flame and serve hot.

Potatoes with green stem

INGREDIENTS:

1. Potato – 1 large diced into small cubes

2. Green stem – (Keerai thandu – cut from the lower part of the greens) – chopped into small pieces

3. Garlic – 2 pods (crushed)

4. Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

5. Salt – 1 tsp

6. Oil – 1/2 tbsp

7. Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

8. Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp

9. Curry leaves – few

METHOD:

1. Pour oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.

2. Toss the crushed garlic and curry leaves and saute it.

3. Add the potatoes, 1 tsp salt and stirr the mixture, keep it closed for a minute in medium flame.

4. Then add the green stem to it along with turmeric powder and chilli powder and stir well.

5. Allow it to cook with a closed lid in medium flame while often stirring it or until the potatoes are cooked well.

6. Check for salt and remove from fire.

Goes well with rice as a side dish.

Shark fry

INGREDIENTS:

1. Shark – 2 pieces ( each with 1″ thickness)

2. Onion – 1 finely chopped

3. Green chilli – 4 finely chopped

4. Garlic – 10 to 12 pods

5. Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

6. Salt to taste

7. Oil – 1 tbsp

8. Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

9. Curry leaves – few

10. Corriander leaves – 4 or 5 twigs, finely chopped

METHOD:

1. Boil the shark with salt and 1 tsp turmeric pwder until it is cooked.

2. Drain the water and keep it aside to dry.

3. Once it is dry, remove the skin and the bone and scarmble it.

4. Pour oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds and curry leaves.

5. Toss the garlic into it and saute it.

6. Follow it with the onion and 1 tsp salt and saute it until the oil separates from it.

7.  Add half of the corriander leaves, 1tsp turmeric powder and the green chillies and keep stirring until the raw smell of turmeric leaves the mixture.

8. Then, add the scrambled shark pieces and toss the rest of the corrainder leaves and stirr it.

9. Keep it closed in medium flame and keep stirring often until the mixture gets blended.

10 Check for salt and remove from fire.

Suites well with rice as a side dish.

Dhal Biriyani

INGREDIENTS:

1. Rice – 1 cup (Basmati rice can also be substituted)

2. Toor dhal – 1/2 cup

3. Moon dhal – 1/2 cup

4. Onion – 1 big (slit lengthwise)

5. Carrot – 1 big (cut legthwise)

6. Beans – 10 to 15 pods

7. Tomato – 2

8. Chilli powder – 2 tsp

9. Turmeric pwdr – 1 tsp

10. Spices – (Cardomon-2, Star aniseed-1, Cinnomon-1 inch stick, cloves- 2, bay leaves)

11. Oil – as needed

12. Ghee – as needed

13. Salt- as reqd

14. Lemon

15. Mint leaves – 1/2 cup (finely chopped)

16. Corriander leaves – 1/2 cup(finely chopped)

17.Ginger garlic paste – 1 table spoon

18. Potato – 1 big (cut into 1inch cubes)

19. Shallots (small onions) – 10 to 15 nos.

METHOD:

1. Soak the rice and dhal together in water for 1/2 n hour.

2. Cut all the vegetables.

3. In a pressure cooker, pour oil and ghee in 1:1 ratio, and once heated, splutter spices.

4. Add the onions and 1 tsp salt and saute until it turns pink.

5. Then, add the ginger garlic paste together with chopped corriander and mint leaves.

6. Saute until the raw smell leaves the paste and brings out the oil from the mixture.

7. Add the vegetables, turmeric powder, chilli pwdr and mix well.

8. Close the lid and cook in low flame for 5 mins, stirring inbetween until a gud aroma comes out of the mixtue.

9. Now, add the rice  and dhal with 4 cups of water (1:2 ratio). (u can add 1/2 a cup of water more incase u need little soggy)

10. Squeeze the lemon and mix well.

11. Check for salt and close the lid.

12. Cook for 3 whistles.

13. Turn of the flame and remove from the stove.

14. While opening the pressure cooker, garnish with corriander leaves.

15. Serve hot with onion raita or chicken gravy or any side dishes as u like.

Note:

1.You can fry some cashewnuts in ghee and toss it over the biriyani before u serve..

2. Channa dhal or red gram can also be added to make variations.

Dhall keerai curry

 

INGREDIENTS:

1. Dhall - 1/2 cup

2. Greens (keerai ) – 1 Bunch ( any keerai)

3. Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

4. Dry red chilli – 5 or 6

5. Curry leaves – few

6. Garlic – 5 or 6 pods

7. Ghee – 1 tbsp

8. Oil – 1 tbsp

9. Salt – as reqd

10. Red chilli pwdr – 1/2 tsp

11. Onion – 1 med size

12. Turmeric pwdr – 1/2 tsp

METHOD:

1. Pressure cook dhall with salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric pwdr for 5 whistles or  20 mins and set aside.

2. In a deep bottomed pan, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds.

3. Toss the crushed garlic, dry red chillies and curry leaves.

4. Add the finely chopped onions with 1/2 tsp salt and saute until it turns pink.

5. Clean the finely chopped greens with water, drain it and add to the onions.

6. Saute, until the greens get cooked.

7. Add the cooked dhall to it and add 1/2 tsp Chilli pwdr and allow it to boil.

8. When it boils, add the 1 tbsp ghee to it and keep stirring.

9. Remove from fire and serve with potato fry and Pappadam.

Pasta Alfredo !

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

1. Macroni – 1/2 cup

2. Milk – 1.5 cups ( Full cream is optional)

3. Corn flour – 1 tbsp

4. Pepper – 1tsp

5. Garlic powder – 1/2 tsp

6. salt – to taste..

7. Corriander leaves – 3 twigs

8. Olive oil – 1 tbsp

METHOD:

1. Boil water in a vessel, add 1 tsp salt to it and toss the Macroni to it, until it is half cooked. ( 2 mins)

2. ln a pan, Pour the milk, salt, pepper powder, Garlic powder, chopped corriander leaves and bring to boil.

3. Mix the corn flour in 2 tbsps of water and pour it over the boiled milk.

4. Add the olive oil and the cooked macroni and allow it to boil.

5. Keep stirring until it reaches a thick consistency.

6. Set off the fire and serve it with Ketchup or Chilli sause.

Fish Curry

INGREDIENTS:

1. Fish – 3 big pieces. ( Batang, kingfish)

2. Shallots (small onions) - 10 nos( to grind), 10 nos (to season)

3. Grated coconut – 2tbsp

4. Ginger – 1″ piece

5. Garlic – 8 pods

6. Fennel seeds – 1tsp

7. Cumin seeds – 2 tsp

8. Corriander seeds – 1 tsp

9. Chilli pwdr – 1tbsp

10. Corriander pwdr – 3 tbsp

11. Tomato – 1 med size

12. Turmeric pwdr – 1 tsp

13. Curry leaves – few

14. Corriander leaves – 5 figs

15. Salt – to taste

16. Oil – as reqd

METHOD:

1. Clean the fish and marinate it with 1/4tsp turmeric pwdr, 1/2tsp salt and 1/2 tsp chilli pwdr, and refrigirate it for half n hour.

2. Pour oil in a pan, season it with fennel seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, corriander seeds. Follow it with crushed ginger and garlic.

3. Then add the onions and saute well. Finally add the grated coconut and fry for 2 mins and turn off the fire.

4. Allow it to cool and grind it and keep it aside.

5. In a deep bottomed vessel, pour oil and add 1tsp cumin seeds, curry leaves and shallots (small onions) and keep stirring.

6. Follow it with tomatos, chilli pwdr, turmeric pwdr, corriander pwdr, salt and cook in low flame with the lids on. (Need not stir, and smash the tomatoes)

7. Once the tomatoes are half cooked, add the ground mixture and little water to it.

8. Allow it to boil for 10 mins in medium flame with the lids on. Keep stirring in between.

9. Now add the fish pieces to the boiling gravy and cook for 2 mins in medium flame with the lids on.

10. Garnish with corriander leaves and serve it with rice, dosa, idly.

Chilli Chicken 65

INGREDIENTS:

1. Chicken – 1/4 kg cut into small pieces

2. Curd – 1 tbsp

3. Corn flour – 2tbsp

4. Salt – 1tsp

5. Turmeric pwdr – 1/4 tsp

6. Chilli pwdr – 1/4 tsp

7. Chilli chicken pwdr – 1 tsp

8. Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp

9. Food color – 1 pinch

10. Oil as reqd

METHOD:

1. In a bowl add the corn flour and mix all the ingredients from 4 to 9.

2. Then, add the curd to it and mix to a thick batter( need not add water).

3. Mix the chicken to it and allow it to soak for half n hour in the freezer.

4. Heat oil in a pan, and fry the chicken until it is cooked.

5. Serve it as an appetizer.

Chicken Biriyani – II

INGREDIENTS:

1. Chicken – 1/2 kg

2. Basmati rice – 3 cups

3. Onion – 2 med size

4. Tomato - 1 med

5. Ginger – 1 inch

6. Garlic – 6 to 8 pods

7. Mint leaves – 1/4 cup chopped

8. Corriander leaves – 1/4 cup chopped

9. Spices – 2 Cloves, 1 star aniseed, 1″cinnomon stick, 2 cardomon

10. salt to taste

11. Oil – 2 tbsp

12. Ghee – 2 tbsp

13. Turmeric pwdr – 1/4 tsp

14. Chilli pwdr – 1 tsp

15. Shallots (small onions) – 1/2 cup slit into half

METHOD:

1. Wash and soak the rice in water for half n hour.

2. Cut onions and tomatoes length vise.

3. Grind together ginger and garlic

4. Marinate chicken with 1/2tsp turmeric pwdr, 1tsp chilli pwdr, 1tsp salt and refrigirate for half n hour.

5. Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker and toss the spices into it.

6. When it splutters, add the onions and 1 tbsp salt and stir for 2 mins.

7. Then add the ginger garlic paste together with mint and corriander leaves.

8. Saute until the fresh smell of ginger garlic leaves the mixture.

9. Add the chicken and the tomatoes along with turmeric pwdr and chilli pwdr.

10. Keep stirring until the masala gets blended with the chicken.

11. Add the rice to it.

12. Then add 900ml of water (1cup rice:300ml water) and chk for salt. (It shd be little salty)

13. Add 1 tsp ghee and mix well so that the rice does not sticks together.

14. Pressure cook for 3 whistles.

15. Serve it with onion raita, chicken fry, mutton fry or any gravies.

16. Serves 4 to 6 persons.

Dry red chilli chutney

INGREDIENTS:

1. Dry red chilli – 3 nos ( if u need too spicy, else add 2)

2. Grated coconut – 2 tbsp

3. Garlic – 3 pods

4. Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

5. Gram dhall – 2 tbsp

6. Salt – 1 tsp

METHOD:

1. Grind together all the ingredients with little water to a smooth paste.

2. Season it with 1 tsp oil, mustard seeds and few curry leaves.

3. Serve it with Idly, Dosai.