Kumblanga/Winter Melon/Ash Gourd curry with yoghurt/ Moru curry

Kumblanga/Ash Gourd: 2 cups cut into chunks

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp

Chilly Powder: 1/2 tsp

Green Chillies: 3 slit

Place this in a pressure cooker, Add enough water (about 3/4 cup) and cook for 2 whistles on high

Coconut Grated: 1/2 cup

Shallots: 5 or 6

Garlic: 2 cloves

Cumin: 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder: a pinch

grind these into a smooth paste.

Yoghurt: 500 gms

Take about a tbsp of yoghurt from this and grind with the coconut mix so that you get a smooth paste.

 

Now open the pressure cooker and add the ground mix and cook on a low flame for sometime.
Now beat the remaining curd just for a second in the mixie and add to the curry. You can add a little water to the beaten curd.
Turn off stove.

To Temper:
Mustard: 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek: 1/4 tsp
Shallots: 2 sliced
Curry Leaves: a sprig
Dried Red Chilly: 1
Coconut oil: 1 tbsp
Heat oil in a pan, and splutter mustard, fenugreek, shallots, red chilly and shallots.
Pour over the curry.
Serve with rice.

Kaara Chutney

This is another hotel style recipe. 

The recipe I got from bloghopping one day. Thanks to Cook N Dine

Onion: 1 chopped

Tomato: 1 medium chopped

Dry Red Chillies: 6

Urad Dal: 1 tbsp

Bengal gram dal: 1 tbsp

Salt: as needed

In a pan, heat a tsp of oil and saute all these items till it changes colour and tomatoes are mashed up.

Let it cool and grind to a paste adding little water.

Transfer to a serving dish.

 

To temper

Oil: 2 tsp

Mustard Seeds; 1/2 tsp

Urud Dal: 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves: 1 sprig

Heat oil and splutter the items under temper and pour over the chutney.

Serve warm with idly. Dosa.

Mint Coriander Chutney/ Pudina Sandwich

Mint/Pudina Leaves: 1 bunch

Coriander Leaves: 1 bunch and a half

Coconut grated: 3/4 cup

Ginger: 1/2 inch

Green Chillies: 2-3 (adjust according to your tolerance level.... I add 3)

Salt: as needed

Wash the leaves properly under running water.

Take the leaves off the pudina bunch. Discard the stem.

Now put the coriander leaves, pudina leaves, grated coconut, salt, ginger, green chillies in the mixie and blend them till you get a paste.

Spread butter generously on bread slices.

Now spread the mint coriander chutney.

Cover with bread slices.

Serve as an evening snack with coffee.

Left Over Magic- Veg Cutlets!!!

Ever wondered what to do with all the left over vegetable thorans and veg stir fries? please do not throw it ever again!!!!! Heres a simple tip to use it again to make a fresh new dish- Vegetable cutlets!!!! Make it and serve as an evening snack or as a side dish for lunch or rotis!!!!

Any left over veg stir fries and thorans: 1 cup,  (but pls do not use bittergourd!!!)

Potato: 1 large (pressure cooked and mashed with salt added.)

Egg: 1 beaten

Bread crumbs: half cup (maybe more)

If you do not want to use eggs, make it pure veg by making a paste with maida and water.

Mix the left over veggies with mashed potatoes,

 Dip in beaten eggs or the maida paste.

Coat with bread crumbs and deep fry.

Serve with sauce and salad

Vazhuthanaga Theeyal/ Brinjal Theeyal

Brinjal: 3 cut in medium sized pieces 

Button onion: a handful

Green Chillies: 3 slit

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp

Chilly powder: 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder: 1 heaped tsp

Tamarind: lime sized

To Roast and grind

Coconut grated: 3/4 cup

Dried Red chilly: 2

Ginger chopped: 1/2 inch

To temper

Coconut oil: 2 tsp

Mustard: 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves: 1 sprig

Dry roast the grated coconut, dried red chillies and ginger over a low flame till the coconut becomes brown making sure it doesn't burn.

When it cools, grind to a very smooth paste. Oil will ooze out of the coconut, so no need to add water, but if it is absolutely necessary add 1 or 2 tbsp water.

Heat Oil in a kadai and saute the onions and green chillies for 2 minutes on low flame.

Now add the chopped brinjal and saute again for 2 minutes.

Add the chilly powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder and saute till the raw smell is gone.

Pour a cup of water and let the brinjal get cooked.

Now add the tamarind water and let it come to a boil.

Add the coconut paste and when it boils along the edges, take off fire.

Splutter mustard, curry leaves in coconut oil and pour it over the Theeyal.

Sambar Saadam Restaurant style/ Bisi Bele Bath

Iam not fond of one pot meals. But my family loves it and coz of that, I always make it and most importantly, look out for real good recipes. Sharmis recipes are like my tamil cooking Bible. O yes, it is really good...otherwise I wouldnt even have bothered to post it. This one is for keeps!!!!

Rice: 1 cup (I used boiled rice/Puzhangalarisi/puzhukkalari)

Toor Dal: 1/2cup

Water: 5 1/2 cups

Tamarind: a small ball

Oil: 1 tbsp

Mustard: 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds; 1/2 tsp

Curry Leaves: 1 sprig

Pearl Onions :8

Carrot: 1/2 chopped

Tomato: 1 chopped

Green Peas: 1/4 cup

Potato: 1 chopped

Asafoetida: 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp

Sambar Powder: 1 heaped tbsp

Coriander leaves: 2 tbsp

Soak the tamarind in 2 cups water. Keep aside. 

Wash Rice and dal and soak in water For 10 minutes.

In a big pressure cooker, heat oil, splutter mustard, fenugreek, curryleaves.

Throw in the onions and tomatoes and saute till tomatoes are mushy.

Add the turmeric powder. sambar powder, asafoetida salt and all the vegetables and saute well.

Add the rice and dal.

Add the 2 cups tamarind water, 3.5 cups plain water.

Keep the lid and weight and pressure cook for 6 whistles on high.

When the pressure releases, open lid, pour a tbsp ghee, 2 tbsp coriander leaves and mix.

Serve warm with fryums or papad.

 Recipe Source: Sharmis Passions

Cheera vada/ spinach cutlet

Cheera/Spinach: 3 cups packed

onion: 1 large sliced

ginger: 1/2 inch

green chilly: 3

Steam cook all this and keep aside

Potato: 2 medium cooked and mashed

Eggs: 2 beaten

Mix the cooked potato, the spinach mix and the eggs. Make round patties.

Deep fry in oil

If you dont want to add eggs, make a paste with maida and water. Make patties with the spinach mix and potato, Dip each in the maida paste, coat in bread crumbs and fry.

Serve warm with rice or you can even serve it with tomato sauce as an evening snack.

Hotel Sambar (Saravana Bhavan style)

I am always on the lookout for new sambar recipes and Ive tried like umpteen kinds of sambars. We as a family have a weakness for hotel sambars, and Ive tried many hotel recipes too with good results.  But all of em have been time taking and a lil bit tedious. So when I saw this Saravana Bhavan style Sambar posted here, I had to try it and wow, It is good and also easy to prepare. So for the time being, my search for hotel style sambar ends here. Ive tried Sharmis tiffin style sambar too, thats also gooooooood but a lil more time taking... so this sambar gets my vote!!!!!

Take a gooseberry sized tamarind and soak in water and keep aside.

Clean coriander leaves, chop and keep aside.

Toor Dal: 3/4 cup

Pressure cook this with 2 cups water and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder for 5 whistles on high.

When the pressure is completely released, mash the dal with a spoon.

To saute:

Oil: 1 tbsp

Potato: 1 chopped

Cucumber: 1/4 cup chopped

Carrot or beans; 1/4 cup chopped

Tomato: 1 chopped

Heat oil and saute the potato and carrot beans first. Then add the tomato and cucumber and take off fire.

Add this to the cooked dal and pour one more cup water and let the vegetables get cooked.

Meanwhile take:

Tomato: 1

Coconut grated: 2 tbsp

Dry Roasted chenna dal: 1 tbsp

Sambar Powder: 1 tbsp (heaped)

Grind this into a smooth paste.

When the veggies are cooked, add this paste to it and let it boil.

Now add the tamarind water to it and let it boil again, add required salt at this stage.

Adjust water, if it is too thick, add more water and let it come to a boil.

Take off fire.

Now to temper:

Oil: 1 tbsp

Mustard Seeds: 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds: 1/4 tsp

Urud dal: 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves; 1 sprig

Small onion: 8 whole (best to use this, but u can substitute with onion chopped-1)

Green Chilly: 2 slit

Hing/Asafoetida: 1 tsp

Heat oil, splutter mustard, fenugreek, urud dal, curryleaves.

Add the onions, green chillies and asafoetida.

Take off fire and pour over the sambar.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve warm with Idlys, Dosas or with plain rice.

Paneer Butter Pepper Fry

Iam a big fan of Chef Sanjay Thumma. Ive tried many of his recipes including paneer curries, biriyanis, snacks, lots of airfryer recipes (I must say, those r really good, especially the crumb fried fish and chips in airfryer,,,,ooooolalala) ......
Well, this paneer one is also his recipe.

Butter:  1tbsp
Green chilly:  4 slit
Curry leaves: 1Sprig
Ginger garlic paste : 1/2tsp
Salt: as needed
Garam masala: 1 tsp
Turmeric: 1/4tsp
Maida: 1Tbsp
Rice flour 1Tsp
Corn flour: 1tsp
Paneer: 250 grms
Coriander powder: 1tsp
Chilly powder: 1tsp
Pepper powder: 1Tbsp
Oil for deep frying
Lime juice: 1Tsp

 Make a thick paste with corn flour, rice flour, maida, turmeric, garam masala powder, salt and ginger garlic paste. Add water in spoonfuls.
Dip the paneer pieces in the paste and coat the masala and deep fry them and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a kadai and add curry leaves, green chilly and butter.
 Saute them and add coriander powder, chilly powder, pepper powder, salt.
 Add fried paneer pieces, toss it and sprinkle lime juice.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve warm as an appetizer.

Recipe got from here

Naaranga curry

This is another recipe from my favourite vegetarian food ustaad, my Padma teacher whom I fondly call Puthri chechy.

Lime/Cherunaranga: 3 cubed (make sure u take off the seeds, otherwise the curry will turn bitter)
Green Chillies: 5 sliced in rounds
Chilly Powder: 1.5 tbsp
Fenugreek Powder: 1/4 tsp
Salt: as needed
Tamarind: gooseberry sized soaked in water
Sugar or jaggery: 1-2 tsp


To Temper:
Coconut Oil: 1 tsp
Curry Leaves: 2 sprigs
Mustard: 1 tsp
Dried Red Chilly:1
Small Onion: 1 sliced

Soak tamarind in water, atleast 2 cups water.
Mix in the green chillies, cubed small lime, chilly powder, salt.
Let it come to a boil.
let it simmer for sometime.
Add the fenugreek powder
When the gravy thickens, add the sugar or jaggerry and let it boil for a few more minutes.
Take off fire.
Heat oil in a kadai, splutter mustard, dried red chilly, onion and curry leaves and pour over the curry.
Serve with Rice and curries.

Potato Fry for Curd Rice

Potato: 3 

Garlic: 3 cloves minced

Chilly Powder: 1 tsp

Asafoetida: 1 tsp

Salt: as needed

Oil: 2 tbsp

Peel the potatoes, wash properly and slice thin or small cubes.

Heat oil, Fry the garlic and in low flame, saute the chilly powder for a few seconds.

Add the asafoetida and throw in the potato cubes.

Saute everthing on medium flame.

Add salt as required.

Fry till done. 

Serve warm with Curd Rice  

Mushroom Paneer dry curry

Mushroom: 250 grams

Paneer: 200 grams

Tomato: 2 pureed

Onion: 2 diced

Ginger garlic paste: 1.5 tbsp

Kasuri Methi: 2 tsp

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp

Oil: 2 tbsp +2 tbsp

Whole Garam masala (Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cloves): 1 each

Salt: as needed

To roast and grind:

Coriander seeds: 1.5 tbsp

Dried red chillies: 6

Cumin: 3/4 tsp

To Garnish:

Coriander leaves: a handful

Ginger juliennes: 1 tbsp

Heat oil and fry the paneer and keep aside

Same oil, fry the mushroom, yes you will get like a cup of water....wait till it all evaporates and the mushroom gets cooked. Keep aside.

Heat oil and splutter the whole garam masala

Saute onion till browned evenly.

add the tomato puree and saute again.

Now add the roasted and ground paste and saute for some more time sprinkling water.

When oil separates, add the mushroom, paneer, salt and a little water too (not too much as what u need is a dry dish)

Do a taste test and add more salt if necessary.

Add the kasoori methi and give the veggies a final mix.

Take off fire and garnish with coriander leaves and ginger juliennes.

Serve warm with rotis.

Broccoli Pepper Fry

Broccoli: 1 cut into small pieces

Onion: 1 diced

Ginger: 1 tsp minced

Garlic: 1 tsp minced

Pepper :1 tsp

Salt: as needed

Wash the Broccoli and pat dry.

In a pan, saute the onion, ginger and garlic till wilted.

Add the Broccoli and let it get cooked but make sure it remains a little crunchy.

Add the salt and pepper and mix everything.

Take off fire and serve warm with rice.

Padavalanga parippu Thoran/kootu

Snake Gourd/Padavalanga: 1

Chana Dal/Kadala Parippu: 100 grms

To Grind:

Coconut grated: 1/4 cup

Garlic: 2 cloves

Cumin: 1/2 tsp

Smal Onion: 4

Green Chillies: 3

Turmeric: 1/4 tsp

Salt: a tsp

To Temper: 

Mustard: 1/2 tsp

Urud Dal: 1/2 tsp

Dried Red Chilly: 2

Curry Leaves: a sprig

Small Onion: 5 thinly sliced

Coconut Oil: 1 tbsp

Cook the chana dal with a cup of water in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles on high flame.

Drain the water.

Add the cleaned, chopped snake gourd and required salt to this dal and without adding water, cook for two whistles on high flame.

Immediately, release the pressure and open the lid.

Grind the "to grind" ingredients without adding water.

Add this to the cooked dal- snakegourd mix and in low flame let it all get mixed and cooked. Sprinkle water at this stage.

Take off fire.

Now heat a tbsp coconut oil and splutter mustard and urud dal.

Throw in the curry leaves, dried red chilly and sliced onion.

Let it brown.

Pour this over the Thoran.

Serve warm with rice.

Vanpayar Ularthu

Vanpayar/  Red Cow Peas - 200 grams

Coconut grated; 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp

Salt and Oil: as needed

Curry leaves: a sprig

Mustard: a tsp

To pulse:

Pearl Onion/ Shallots: 12

Garlic: 8 cloves

Dried red Chilly: 4

Pulse these ingredients for 2 to 5 seconds in your mixie. keep aside

Pressure cook the vanpayar  with turmeric powder and salt till done. 5 whistles on high.

In a kadai/wok, heat oil and splutter the curryleaves.

Add the pulsed ingredients and saute till raw smell is gone. Now add the grated coconut and give a toss.

add the cooked vanpayar and let it get sauteed and the masalas get mixed thoroughly.

Serve warm with rice.

Kathrikka Kolambu/ Brinjal Curry

Brinjal: 6 small
Onion: 1 large diced
Garlic: 6 cloves minced
Mustard: 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds: 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves; 1 sprig
Dried red Chilly: 1
Coriander Powder: 2 tsbp
Kashmiri Chilly Powder: 3/4 tbsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Jeera Powder: 1/4 tsp
Oil: 4 tbsp
Tamarind: half a lime sized soaked in water.
Jaggerry/ Sugar: 2 tsp



Make 2 vertical cut on the brinjal leaving the stem intact.
Heat 4 tbsp oil and fry the brinjal till it is half done.
Keep it aside.
In the same oil, splutter mustard curry leaves and dried red chilly.
Saute the onions and garlic till brown.
Add all the masala powders and saute till oil separates.
Add the brinjal and tamarind water and add one more cup of water and let it cok on medium flame.
When it is almost done, add the jaggerry or sugar.
wait for a minute more and then take off stove.
Serve with Rice.

Beef Kababs (Oven Baked), Mushrooms & Peppers Grilled on stove top, Steamed Broccoli &Cauliflower in White Sauce

Beef Kebabs:

Beef: 1 kg

Onion: 2 large

Ginger: 1 inch

Garlic: 6 cloves

Green Chillies: 2  (more if u like more spicy)

Chilly Powder: 1 tbsp

Corinader Powder: 2 tbsp

Garam Masala: 1 tsp

Salt: as needed

Pepper: 1 tsp

In a food processor mince all this together.

Whisk 2 eggs and mix with this.

Make patties, (any shape- oval, round, or even you can shape it onto skewers)

Preheat oven 220C

place these patties on a baking sheet lined with aluminium foiled and lightly greased.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Turn over half way through.

Serve with vegetables grilled and vegetables steamed and mixed with white sauce.

For the grilled veggies
Veggies of your choice: Capsicum, paneer, mushroom, onion, tomato.
Mix all this with readymade kebab masala (o yes, i use ready to buy kebab masala) curd, ginger garlic paste.
arrange on a skewer (mushroom followed by peppers, onions, paneer, tomato--- your choice)
Heat your stove top grill with a tbsp of olive oil.

Place the skewers and grill on low heat.
Turn over once and cook through.


Broccoli and Cauliflower: 1 each
Clean well and steam it for a few minutes till done.

White sauce:
Butter: 1 tbsp
Milk: 2 cups
Maida/All Purpose Flour: 2 tbsp
Pepper and salt: 1 tsp each

Heat the butter in a saucepan and saute the flour making sure it doesnt burn
Add a little milk and whisk so that no lumps are formed.
Add rest of the milk, pepper and salt.
Boil till it thickens and bubbles up.

Place the steamed veggies on a platter.
Pour the white sauce over it and serve warm.

Koorka/ Chinese Potato stir fry/ mezhukkupuratti

A kerala speciality.

Koorka/ Chinese Potato: 300 gms/ 2 cups

Salt; as needed

Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp

Mustard: 1/2 tsp

Pearl Onions: 10

Garlic; 5 minced

Dry Red chilly: 4 minced

Coconut Oil: 2 tbsp

Curry Leaves; 3 sprigs

 Wash the Koorka properly. drain.

Scrape the skin and again immersein water. Wash again and again till you get clean Koorka.

Cut in  Chunks.

Mix it with one cup water, required salt and turmeric powder and pressure cook for two whistles.

Release the pressure by pulling the weight up (yes I do that so that the Koorka doesnt mash up inside)

drain excess water and keep it ready.

In a Wok, heat coconut oil and splutter mustard.

Throw in the onion, garlic and let it saute for a few seconds and then add the curryleaves and dried red chilly.

Add the Koorka to it and Mix everything and let all the flavours merge.

Take off fire and the most important thing is to have it hot from the stove to the plate.

Pumpkin Thoran/ Mathanga Tholi Thoran

This is one of my favourite.... yes, ABSOLUTE favourite thoran. So next time, when u make Pulpkin curry/ Mathanga Erisserry, do not discard the peel. Slice it thin and add onion, coconut to it and there you get the best thoran in the world.

Pumpkin peel/  Mathanga Tholi: 2 cups sliced thin

This is the peel. Slice this thin.

Onion: 1 diced

Coconut grated: 1 cup

Turmeric powder; 1/2 tsp

Salt: as needed

Coconut Oil: 1 tbsp

Mustard; 1/2 tsp

Curry Leaves: 3 sprigs

Dried red chilly: 2

Heat oil in a kadai, splutter mustard, curry leaves and dried red chilly. 

Mix in the sliced peels, onion diced, coconut, turmeric and salt.

Stir till everything is properly mixed

Add 1/4 cup water and let it cook on low flame.

Let it cook and all the water evaporate.

Serve warm with rice.

Cheese Chilli/ Paneer Chilli

Coming from my sister Sophy's kitchen with love.

Paneer: 250 gms
Capsicum: 1 (half of it chopped, half cubed)
Onion: 1 finely chopped
Onion: 1 cubed
Ginger: 1 inch piece minced
Garlic:  8 pods minced
Green Chillies:4
Crushed Pepper Powder: 1 tsp
Tomato Sauce: 3 tsp
Chilly Sauce: 1 tsp
Soya Sauce: 1 tsp

For the Batter:
Maida: 1/4 cup
Corn Flour: 1/4 cups
Red colour: a pinch
Ginger Garlic paste: 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli powder; 1/2 tsp
Slat: as needed

Make the batter first. dip the cubed paneer pieces in it, deep fry and keep aside.
In the same oil, add the minced ginger, garlic and green chillies and saute till slightly brown.
Add the finely chopped onions and finely chopped capsicum.
When that is brown, add the cubed onion and capsicum and saute for 1 minute.
Add all the sauces, pepper powder and salt. Add a little red colour too.
Add the fried paneer to it and mix it well.
Serve warm.