I am certainly thrilled when Viki passed this Award to me!!! Being an introvert blogger...I didn't expect this!!! Well......thought its time to get out and meet my fellow bloggers! Thank you so much Viki!!!

Meet

Vikki Xavier

Wow....N33ma has also shared the same butterfly award with me, thank you so much dear...

Neema

Vij has shared the coolest blog award with...I am glad that she chose me. Thanks a bunch dear...

Vij

The rules of the award are:

Put the logo on your blog. Add a link to the person who awarded you. Nominate 10 other blogs Add links to those blogs on yours, and leave a message for your nominees on their blogs. I am happy to pass on this award to my fellow blogger friends.

Kay

Jayaree Satish

Ramya

Sukanya Ramkumar

Priya

Priar's

Sireesha

Shreya

Lakshmi Venkatesh

Lavanya

Congrats Y'll !!!

All you have to do is:

Just right click and save the butterfly award image in my blog to your desktop.If you are in blogspot, just add a side tab in the right side of template and upload the image. Otherwise you open the original template you are using and upload this photo to it.

Akhrot Halwa

Akhrot Halwa:(Version 2)

Walnut Halwa. Akhrot Halwa. Nuts Halwa. Pecan Halwa.

Its again my favourite Mughalai Style recipe. Akhrot Halwa is famous around North-Arcot belt. Its prepared during Ramadhan month! Rich in nuts satisfy you after long fasting hours! Myself and my Brother like to have it quite often. It is Yummy and has very different taste from regular halwa's. Probably because they use lots of 'milk gova/khoya' here. Hmmmm, cant wait to have it!!!

So...there is no great difference between my version 1 & 2. I have tossed plenty of whole nuts for decoration. Used home-made ghee and twist here is actually the food color! Although I hate to color my food with chemicals...I did it this time....just once!

Ingredients:

Walnuts 2 cup slightly toasted and grated
Ghee 2 cup
Sugar 2 cup
Milk gova/khoya 2 cup
Heavy cream/milk 1 litre
Condensed milk 1 cup
Cardamon seeds powder 1 spoon
Food color of your choice
Favourite nuts of your choice for decoration.

Method:


Toast/ fry in ghee...all the decoration nuts first and set aside.

Mix sugar and heavy cream and boil them, reduce it into half(maybe add cardamon seeds powder too)

In a separate pan, heat ghee and add gova, fry it real good. let it get loosened up first and slightly change color. That is golden brown. Do not fry beyond this point. It may become too brown.

So now to this fried gova add reduced milk. Further add condensed milk to.

Toss your grated walnuts + color and cook them. When the halwa consistency is achieved, it leaves the pan. Maybe one can run few more spoons of ghee at this point.

It turns up into dark velvety brown color. With distinct aroma. Now toss the fried nuts from step 1 to it. Mix well! Serve this after heavy meals as dessert. Heaven!!!

Marina Cafe's Grilled Chicken Biriyani

Marina Cafe's Grilled Chicken Biriyani:

Tandoored Chicken Biriyani. Slow Cooking Recipe. Extra Hot Biriyani. Tandoori Chicken Biriyani.

Once again Biriyani recipe!!! I know you guys are pulling my leg there! Can't help it! Though we taste this common food at any place now! People have become really skilled in making it! Its no more ethnic food! Infact I have taught Biriyani recipe to all my American friends! Even then.....a slight twist in the recipe...its like...Oh I need to try this! I happend to taste this wonderful Biriyani.....in this small eat area(restaurant)" Marina Cafe"! Just opposite to Marina Beach(Chennai)! Yeah...the same old dirty beach for couples(so called lovers). Anyway....my Aunty and family took me to this restaurant! And uncle said...being a Biriyani fan...I should probably taste this and give some opinion on it! It was Awesome! Very hot version! One good speciality to this recipe is....they have used grilled chicken....so extremely flavourful and slo...slow...slowest cooking! Wow....it has become so hard to hear these words today "Slow Cooking"! Sounds nice to me!

Ingredients:

For Marianation:

Chicken 2 leg piece
Red hot peppers 1-2
Onion 1 bulb
Ginger 2"
Garlic 4-6 beads
Tomato 1
Mint few leaves
Cilantro few leaves
Salt
Lemon juice 2 spoons
Yogurts
Ghee 1/4 cup.

For Biriyani:

Basmati rice 2-4 cups
Cinnamon 1 stick
Cloves 5
Cardamom 7 crushed
Birinji flower 1
Bay leaves 2 crumbled
Marati Mokku 1
Rose petals few
Saffron few strands
Green/Red chilies 6 sliced
Onion 1 sliced
Tomatoes 2 chopped
Mint leaves 1 handful
Cilantro leaves few
Salt
Chili powder 1 spoon
Ghee 1 cup.

To Garnish:

Green chilies 2 sliced(deseed)
Red chilies 2 sliced(deseed)
Curry leaves few
Ghee 1/4 cup.

Method:

Blend all the ingredients mentioned under marination(except chicken). Now marinate chicken in this for about 7 whole hours(best to do it overnight).

In a charcoal oven....slow grill these chicken. Often coating with the excess marination liquid. When the skin turns slightly crisp and chicken is almost done...remove from the griller.(Well...not necessary for thorough cooking here).

Heat ghee in a wide mouthed vessel. Add all the spices(cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, birinji flower, rose petals, saffron, bay leaves and marati mokku). Allow them to pop up.

Then add sliced chilies....wait till it crackles.

Now add onions and fry real good. Maybe till it turns to golden color!

Add tomatoes too. Once they wilt and oil shows up on top. Add grilled chicken to it.

Further add mint and cilantro leaves. Fry for about 2 minutes. Let these spices and oil coat to the chicken.

Now add rice...fry till rice coats oil all over!!

Transfer the content to oven safe container. Add 1:2 cups of water(1 part rice, 2 parts water). Now cover with aluminium foil. Slow cook in the conventional oven. Maybe for 3 hours under minimum possible temperature. Temperature....setting is up to you...how slow you want it!

In a seperate pan, heat ghee and fry these garnishing items one by one...till crisp! Set aside.

When the biriyani is done...top them with above garnish! Enjoy!!!

Kovaikkai Sambar

Tinda Sambar:

Kovaikkai Sambar. Dhondakkai Sambar.

It used to be another boring Sambar in University Hostel! They will make this sambar 2-3 times a weak! We hated it! But not anymore....now I rarely spot this veggie in the market! I got so little this time(that was the last few pieces left in an Asian Grocery Store)not to mention....drove 70 miles for that!! It was so little to make fry or to try anything new....so went with that hostel menu!

Ingredients:

Ivy Gourd 1/4 kilo(Sliced)
Thoor Dal 1 cup
Onion 1 large
Tomato 1 large
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Sambar Powder(home made) 1-2 spoons
Tamarind paste 1 spoon
Ghee or oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Ghee/ Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add thoor dal + salt + few spoons of oil. Pressure cook till tender. Maybe for 3-6 whistles.

Now set this dal aside.

In a large crock pot, heat ghee. Add onions and fry till it is transluscent.

Then add toamtoes and fry till they turn pulpy. Add salt, turmeric and chili powder to this. Fry for 2 minutes.

Now stir-in sliced veggies and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Maybe till the oil coats.

Add cooked thoor dal now. Cover and cook till the veggies are done.

When the veggies are done, add tamarind paste, samabar powder and cilantro leaves. Bring this to boil once. Then transfer the contents to display ware.

In a seperate pan, heat oil and fry the tempering items in it. Then run this seasonning over the sambar prepared

Baked Hariyali Tofu

Baked Hariyali Tofu:

Spicy Baked Tofu. Hot Baked Tofu.

This is Pari's idea of amrinating everything.....he makes a spicy greenish paste with chilies and herbs....give it a nice rub. Then he bakes....he is health nut. So even fritters, falafel.....he bakes.

Ingredients:

Tofu firm & water packed 200 grams
Salt
Cilantro leaves few
Mint leaves few
Jalapenos 1 cored and chopped
Onion 1 bulb
Garlic 2 beads
Ginger 1" grated
Olive oil few spoons
Yogurts 1 cup
Lime juice/lemon juice 2-4 spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.

Method:

Wet-grind coarsely all the above said ingredients(except 1st and last).

Then run this over cubed tofu's. Ziplock them in a baggie and leave it in fridge overnight!

Spray oil in an aluminium foil. Place these cubes...well apart.

Bake them at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro leaves! Serve warm as a side dish!

Mushroom Soy Soup

Mushroom Soup:

Mushroom Thin Soup. Mushroom Soy Soup.

Ingredients:

Mushroom 6-8 pieces
Soy sauce thin 4 spoons
Black pepper 2-5 turns in pepper mill
Salt as per taste
Vegetable broth
Olive oil 1 spoon.

Method:

Slice the mushrooms, stir-fry them..using 1 spoon of oil.

Add soy sauce and vegetable broth. Cover and cook till tender.

Sprinkle pepper finally and serve to go as an appetizer!

Potatoes n Dry Shrimps Karakuzhambu

Potato Dry Shrimps Kuzhambu:

Urulaikizhangu Kaaindha Era Kara Kuzhambu.

I found these teeny little dry shrimps in Korean Market! So thought of pairing them with potatoes....its tangy curry dish!

Ingredients:

Potatoes medium size 6-8(One can use baby potaoes/ large one cubed)
Dried Shrimps 1 cup
Cricket ball size Tamarind or 1 spoon of thick tamarind paste
Red onion 1 large finely chopped
Garlic 1 large peeled and semi crushed
Tomato 1 large chopped
Jaggery or brown sugar 1 spoon
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Rice powder 1 spoon
Sesame oil 1 cup
Mustard seeds 1 spoon
Cumin seeds 1 spoon
Fenugreek seeds 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 1/2 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon
Dry red chilies 3-5
Curry leaves few.

Method:

Wash and clean the baby potatoes.Retain its skin or If you prefer....scrape the skin-off.

In a deep pan heat few spoons of oil. Add garlic, fry till its raw smell goes off. Further add onions, fry till they turn to golden brown color. Now add tomatoes, fry them till they loose their water content.

Now add salt, turmeric, chili powder, sugar and rice powder. Blend them together.

Add the potaoes and shrimps now. Fry them for a while. Maybe till they are kind of fried a little.

Then add tamarind paste and 2 cups of water. Cover and cook over medium flame.

Once the vegetable is done....also shrimps are little bulged. Run the sesonning on the top. (In a separate pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, fenugreek, chenna dal, urad dal, dry red chilies and curry leaves. Let them pop and splutter well.) Run this seasoning over the gravy.

Serve this along with plain steamed rice. Run a spoon full of ghee over it.....just before serving.

Star Fruit

Star Fruit Salad:

I happen to spot this fruit recently in the local market! Its very low in calories....just 30 cal af fruit and good source of vitamin C. Its a winter fruit....helpt to ward cold, flu..etc. They are rich in fibre...promotes digestion!

Since the fruit is star shaped...makes excellent choices for salad decoration! The fruit is actually greenish to yellow color! A full ripe fruit could eb entirely yellow and slight brown tinge at teh edges(asters)! Wel....personally I like over ripe fruit...as they are fully packed wtih anti-oxidnats and flavonoids.

Ingredients:

Star fruits 3 sliced
Black grapes 1 bunch
Salt
Chili powder
Lemon powder
Cumin powder
Black salt
Whilte pepper
Olive oil few spoons.

Mehtod:

Nothing much...toss a dash of aove spices to the slices. Cover and chill! Let them settle for about 2 hours.

Serve chilled as a refreshing salad!

Kovaikkai Thengai Poriyal

Tinda Thoran:

Ivy Gourd Poriyal. Baby cucumbers Stir-fry. Kovaikkai Poriyal. Dhondakai Kopara Koora.

Method:

Ivy gourd - slice them (1/4 kilo)
Dry coconut - grated 1 small cup
Green chilies 1-2
Salt
Turmeric pinch(optional)
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Grate coconut and chilies together in a blender, set aside!

In a wok, heat oil. Add mustard and curry leaves. Crackle them!

Add veggies, salt them. Cover and cook.

When they are half the way done...add grated chilies and coconut. Stir-fry over high heat. Remove from heat!

Serve as side dish to your South Indian meals.

Wheat Barotta

Whole Wheat Barotta:

I don't know how many of you all will agree with me! When you rigorously diet....you crave more for toasted and crispy food! Not to metion...most of the crispy food in the marker are loaded with transfat and they are deep fried! My friend Tina said...she toast the pita bread(Iranian bread)and cut them into wedges...and eat them all along to control cravings! Its so novel. I have a similar way of fixing as well! After dieting with veggies, fruits and no carb diet.....I beleive in whole wheat bread....for instant energy! Carb is always a deck of crads size to me! Either brown or parboiled rice a cup or wheat bread! Though I mastered the art of soft chappathi in the worl...like my mommy....since its fitness freak recipe....its going to have some unusual tips.

Yeah.....I always mention to make chappathi over high flame...and often turning for soft ones,right!! But here.....toast these Barottas over low heat.....for long time on each side. The result will be crispy, cracker like roti! Break them into wedges and eat them...when you crave for salty snacks, chips or cookies! Works well!

Its whole-unbleached wheat...rich in B-complex and its complex carb....will make you fight hunger for long time! So fix them for luch.....it will avoid lmid afternoons cravings!

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
Wheat husk(if you buy bleached wheat...add this)2-4 spoons.
Salt
Baking Soda 1 pinch
Baking Salt 1 pinch
Olive oil
Egg Whites 1-2
Warm Water for Kneading - 1/2 cup
Working Flour - 1 fistful.

Method:

Bring flour, salt, baking soda + salt togather in a bowl. Mix them well. Now make well in the flour, add slowly add warm water to it. Knead them to smooth fissure less dough. Maybe knead for 20-30 minutes by giving lots of pressure. Gently run 1/4 of oil to it. Leave this set up for 2 hours. Cover the dough with damp cloth.

Now make equal parts out of it. Make them into fine fissure less roundels.

Knead them like you do for chappathis/tortillas. Make it too thin as possible. If the kneading goes out of shape...dont panic. Make it thin.

Now to this thinnest layer.....run few spoons of oil and spread evenly, sprinkle some working flour on it. Sprinkle evenly.

Now take a sharp knife and cut them like thin strips. Maybe each thin strips should be like 1/2 an inch thickness.

Well now pile up all the stips one above the other. Get me? The working flour acts like buffer....so they don't stick too hard togather. Once piled up everything. Make a twist...make them like roundels again.(Get me like you do for layered chappathi)

Knead this roundels again with uniforn thickness. Repeat the same for all the remaining dough too.

Heat an iron skillet, run few spoons of oil, toast the barottas till they are done.

Now place these barottas in wide plate, using both hands, slightly fluf it...while they are still warm.

Thats it. Enjoy with Egg curry or Salna.

Plantain Poriyal

Plantain Rice Fry:

Vazahikkai Arisi Poriyal. Green Plantain Fry. Kacha Kela Ka Subzi.

I happen to taste this recipe in Coimbatore...at friends place. Tho' the original recipe asked for peeling the skin, grating and was without turemric! I have altered all along and practically couldnt bring that orinigal taste or crispy-ness! So.....as a fix, I added rice flour to promote some crispy-ness!! It turned okay! Well......will one day post that original recipe without my overwhelming aimbitions. Meanwhile....try to enjoy this!

Ingredients:

Plantain 1
Rice flour 1/4 cup
Salt
Asafoetida 1 pinch
Turmeric 1 pinch
Chilies 3 sliced
Chana-Urad dal 2 spoon
Mustard 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few.

Method:

Cook plantain with limited salt till tender. Set aside.

In a wok, heat oil. Add mustard, chana-urad dal, asafoetida, turemric, chilies and curry leaves.

Now add this cooked plantain to this above set-up. Fry real good over high heat. Add rice flour to bring some crispyness! When fragrant...remove from heat!

Tofu Stir-Fry

Tofu Stir-Fry:

Yeah....one of those low-cal healthy diet! Catch up...after done with McDonald's, KFC's as guilt relief dinner!! Can even toss them together in minutes....my solution after a hectic day!!

Ingredients:

Tofu(extra firm..water packed)200 grams
Bulb onion 1-2 cubed
Jalapenos 2 quarted into wedges
Ginger 2" grated or julienned
Sesame seeds 1 spoon
Dry red chili flakes 1 spoon
Soy sauce thick 1 spoon
Teriyaki sauce 1 spoon
Olive oil few spoon
Green onions few to garnish.

Method:

Heat oil a skillet. Add sesame seeds. Wait till they pop.

Add dry chilies and ginger...bring them to fragrant! Add onions and jalapenos....fry real good for a while.

Add cubed tofu and fry over high heat.

Now add soy and teriyaki sauce....fry over high till they are done.

Garnish with green onions!

Serve as a side dish or main course!

Radish Salad

Radish Salad:

Mullangi Salad. Mooli Salad.

The radish has a long history going back thousands of years to the ancient Egyptian and Chinese times. The Greeks and the Romans were also known to utilize the benefits of the radish, and the Romans spread its use to many other European countries.

The radish was used for its medicinal value where it was believed to stimulate appetite, prevent indigestion and constipation, and treat melancholy. During the middle age, it was also consumed to treat rheumatism and insanity.

Well...radish has anti-bacterial properties! Its good to eat them raw! Ofcourse Indian variety(white and red both are sulphur rich and makes uncomfortable to eat raw)So best method is mild cooking type of salad! To counter-react that strong sulphur...I have added few spoons of lemon here!

Ingredients:

Radish 200 grams
Lemon juce few spoons
Mustard 1/4 spoon
Cumin 1/4 spoon
Urad dal 1 spoon
Ginger 1" grated
Asafoetida 1 pinch
Chilies 1 small deseed and slice
Salt
Oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves few.

Method:

Grate radish and set aside.

Heat oil in a wok. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, urad dal and chilies. wait till they pop.

Add radish and salt. Make a quick stir-fry...less than 2 minutes.

Remove from heat...add lemon juice.

Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Potato Sambar

Potato Sambar:

Urulaikizhangu Sambar. Aloo Sambar

When I was a kid....Mommy leaves me behind....to visit her parents(during summer vacation). Myself and Dad will have lot of fun together! Yeah...you guessed, I am still Daddy's little Princess! Daddy takes me to office(sometimes...if it is a trip for an Inspection or Feild Visit)....otherwise I have to stay at home. In the evenning he will surprise me taking to Restaurants and we'll go watching movies! When we are really bored....Dad also cooks wonderful meals to me! One such unusual dish is 'Potato Sambar'! I don't know maybe you guys know this already....but my mother never made this sambar(ever)....so when Dad made this....it was simply Awesome! He has invented(atleast for me)several dishes like this! So....on the other day...I was kind of missing those lovely old days! Tho' Potato is not anymore my choice of veggie....felt like being with Dad! So here you go!

Ingredients:

Potato 1/4 kilo(Sliced into wedges)
Thoor Dal 1 cup
Onion 1 large
Tomato 1 large
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Sambar Powder(home made) 1-2 spoons
Tamarind paste 1 spoon
Ghee or oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Ghee/ Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add thoor dal + salt + few spoons of oil. Pressure cook till tender. Maybe for 3-6 whistles.

Now set this dal aside.

In a large crock pot, heat ghee. Add onions and fry till it is transluscent.

Then add toamtoes and fry till they turn pulpy. Add salt, turmeric and chili powder to this. Fry for 2 minutes.

Now stir-in sliced veggies and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Maybe till the oil coats.

Add cooked thoor dal now. Cover and cook till the veggies are done.

When the veggies are done, add tamarind paste, samabar powder and cilantro leaves. Bring this to boil once. Then transfer the contents to display ware.

In a seperate pan, heat oil and fry the tempering items in it. Then run this seasonning over the sambar prepared.

Blackberry Juice

Blackberry Juice:

Blackberries, its leaves, roots even bark is said edible here.....and also folk remedy for various ailments. The Native American tribes, used them extensively... it had many other surprising uses! The leaf is more commonly used as a medicinal herb, but the root also has medicinal value. Young edible shoots are harvested in the spring, peeled and used in salads. Delicious Blackberries are edible raw or made into jelly or jam here. The root-bark and the leaves are astringent, depurative, diuretic, tonic and vulnerary. They make an excellent alternative medicine for dysentery, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, and cystitis.

The most astringent part is the root. Orally, they are used to treat sore throats, mouth ulcers and gum inflammations. A decoction of the leaves is useful as a gargle in treating thrush and also makes a good general mouthwash. The presence of large amounts of tannins that give blackberry roots and leaves an astringent effect useful for treating diarrhea are also helpful for soothing sore throats. A medicinal syrup is also made from Blackberry, using the fruit and root bark in honey for a cough remedy.

Berries always facinate me! They are seasonnal.....and any seasonnal fruit/berry for that reason...is there for a reason! Berries are loaded with anti-oxidants....the whole world is crazy about this fact and anti-aging! Planning to fight with your free radical damage...fix berry juice a day! Since they are seasonnal....depend on frozen berries!

Ingredients:

Blackberries 1 cup
Sugar as per taste
Mint few leaves
Sparkling water 2 cups.

Method:

Blend the berries with sugar.

Do not filter...for better benefits.

Add sparkling cold water to voluminise! Garnish with mint or lemon wedge....enjoy!

Orange Rasam

Orange Lemon Soup:

Orange-Lemon Rasam. Orange-Neembakai Saaru.

Lemons and Oranges are rich in Vitamin-C. Most of vitamins lie only close to the skin and on the skin. The lethery rind(jacket)is also loaded with essential oils! Since some of the vitamins are oil soluble and to make use of those essential oils....its good to cook them for a while than eating raw! Cooking makes certain vitamins available to the body!

Ingredients:

Orange 1 fruit(washed & sliced)
Lemon juice 1 cup
Salt enough
Dry red chilies 6 broken
Peppercorns 4
Cumin seeds 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves crushed few
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1 pinch
Turmeric 1 pinch
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Heat oil....in a wok. Add mustard, asafoetida, chilies, curry leaves, pepper and cumin seeds. Wait till they pop.

Add salt and turmeric.....plus lemon juice, orange slices and 4 cups of water.

Bring this to boil and remove from heat. Garnish with cilanto leaves.

Take them as soup! It may no tbe good enough with rice...like any other rasam! Its safe to drink as soup!

Upma Kozhukattai

Upma Kozhukkattai:

Kaara Kozhukattai. Savory Modhak

When you don't have rice-mill here...its easy to fix this type of Kozhukatai(modhak). Although I hate the fact of soaking and grinding rice....I happend to fix this one day! Well....before I even tried this...I was not sure of....how its going to turn up! I heard this recipe from my Mylapore Aunty Radhai! Oh....she is a great cook in the family! To my surprise....it turned okay!

Ingredients:

Raw Rice 1 cup
Chana-Urad dal 4 spoons
Mustard seeds few
Ginger 2" grated
Curry leaves few
Asafoetida
Chilies few chopped
Onion 1 chopped
Cilantro leaves few
Cashewnuts few
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Soak rice for couple of hours and coarsely wet-grind ...using the same water(which you used for soaking). Make sure batter is heavy and tuff!

In a wok, heat oil. Add mustard,asafoetida, chan-urad dal, cashews, chilies, ginger and onion. Fry real good.

Now add wet-ground rice batter and add salt. Fry over low heat. Add cilantro too.

Wait till its moisture evaporates. When the rice is kind of getting cooked...remove from heat.

Wet your palms in cold water and smear with oil. Make these dough into modhak shapes.

Steam them for about 10-12 minutes.

Enjoy as evenning snack or dinner!

Hariyali Fish

Hariyali Fish:

Baked Green Fish. Baked Green Tilapia. Hariyali Machili. Baked Chapalu.

I never thought of detailing to this extend....but a girl I met, made me to do this! Well...she is also a Research Assistant! I really wonder now!! Okay not all scientist can be good cook after all!While she was cooking....she went on and on tasting the food! Each time...dipping the same spoon after licking, slurping...whatnot! She never tossed even the silliest marinade(about 1 or 2 spoons)....she kept it for further use! Imagine....it was prior mixed with raw meat!

So while marinating...always place them in fridge! At room temperature bacteria and germs multiply pretty fast! Never ever taste your marinade after adding to raw meat/fish/chicken!!! Never reuse the same marinade that has been tossed with meat! Discard the excess!

Hariyali fish is nothing but Green colored fish! My brother's recipe! He prepares fresh herb's green paste.....marinate...bake them! Sounds healthy right! Yeah...he is also a fitness freak!!

Ingredients:

Tilapia(no much choice here) 2 fillets
Salt
Cilantro leaves few
Mint leaves few
Jalapenos 1 cored and chopped
Onion 1 bulb
Garlic 2 beads
Ginger 1" grated
Olive oil few spoons
Yogurts 1 cup
Lime juice/lemon juice 2-4 spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.

Method:

Wet-grind coarsely all the above said ingredients(except 1st and last).

Then run this over fish fillets. Ziplock them in a baggie and leave it in fridge overnight!

Spray oil in an aluminium foil. Place these fillets. Maybe leave enough gap between each fillet!

Bake them at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

If you like that slight burnt flavor like me.....place them in upper rack for 2 minutes(broil them)....so you'll get that slightly charred effect.

Garnish with cilantro leaves! Serve warm as a side dish!

Grilled Chicken

Power Foods:

Grilled Chicken:

On the other day....Ramona(from my cooking class)asked me....why it is always 'Tandoor Chicken' looks pink in these Indian Restaurants. I myself wondered several times...what is that pink little thing staring at me(not even red....its totally pink)! They hardly use any spices...just coloring agent....get it grilled!! All my clients really enjoyed my spicy meals! I never altered or adjusted the spice levels for Americans! I did the same way each time.....as I do it for myself! They really appreciated it! All they want to know is....how we cook at home!

Well....today I thought of giving nice marination to the chicken, with all fresh spices and herbs! I am not really a skilled griller!! But I am little aware of the facts of marination and grilling!! So as usual....I didn't depend upon any store-bought mariantion...I am not even using my spice powders! Okay the fresh tomatoes, yogurts and lemon are going to work to tenderize the meat! The acidity from these ingredients will break down the protein structure and will make it easy for digestion! Well....it will give good flavor through out the stake! Also these wholesome puree will boost nutrients intake! They also protect from harmful bacteria growth!

Besides ginger, garlic and cilantro are disease fighters and anti-agers. They also counter-react with that risk associated with grilling. Yeah when meat is heated in high temperature, cancer causing substance called Heterocyclic amines are formed! But marination cuts the risk by 87-90%, a reduction is directly co-related with amount of antioxidants present in your puree/sauce!

Well...I also used bone-in chicken today, to hold that latent heat and hasten the procedure(cooking). Skin-on will be helpful than using cubes and cubes of butter!

Ingredients:

Chicken Leg piece 2 (bone-in & skin-on)
Onion 1 large
Garlic 5 beads
Ginger 2"
Tomato 1 large
Red Peppers(fresh and large)3
Cilantro leaves 1 fistfu
Mint leaves 10-15
Lemon juice 1 fruit
Yogurts 1 cup
Salt
Clarified butter as required!

Method:

Make a thick puree out of all the above mentioned ingredients(except 1st and last).

Marinate chicken in the puree! Well....actually I packed them in one of those ziplock bags and left it in freezer for a whole day! Is it not wonderful...or do it overnight mariantion for better results!

Brush them with clarified butter and get them grilled....until they are done thoroughtly!

Happy eating!:)

Kozhi Keerai Masiyal

Kozhi Keerai Kadaisal:

I searched all over the net....I couldn't help you all with its Botanical name or even English common name. We call this 'Kozhi Keerai' in Tamil. But few sites as marked this Keerai as 'Paruppu Keerai'! Well....Paruppu Keerai is entirely different. Stick with me...I have paruppu Keerai recipe coming up soon!

As any other greens, it is rich in Iron...promotes digestion, promotes stickeness to the blood and also acts as a laxative.

Ingredients:

Kozhi Keerai 1 bunch
Onion 1 small roughly chopped
Garlic 5 beads
Tomato 1 small chopped
Green chilies 3-5 chopped
Tamarind paste 1/2 spoon
Cooked thoor dal 1 cup(optional)
Salt
Sesame oil few spoons.

For Sesonning:

Thalippu Vadagam 1 spoon
Mustard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin seds 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Chana dal 1/2 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Dry red chilies 3 - splitted
Curry leaves few
Sesame oil few spoons.

Method:

Wash and clean the greens. Cut away the thick stem, retain the soft stems and leaves alone.

In a wok, heat few spoons of oil. Add chilies, garlic, onion and toamto and saute for few minutes.

Then add greens, salt and tamarind to it. Cover and cook....till they wilt.

Now grind them coarsely using mann-chatti/kal-chatti.

In a seperate pan, heat oil. Add the sesonning items one by one, wait till they pop and splutter. Now run this sesonning over the masiyal made above.

Serve warm to go with palin rice. Adding steamed rice to the mann-chatti and make a earthern pot meal - tastes better this way too!

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake:

People who knew me....know this better! I am a lousy baker! When it comes to baking....I am chicken! I always seek help from my friend Tina....who is even worse than me in baking! She always as an excuse of buying the whole product! On the other day....she asked me to try almost done(cake mix)first....before I attempt to do from the scratch! Makes sense afterall....so why dont I do that! So here you go....my disaster Cake! Althoug the taste was okay...but I ruined it in icing!

Ingredients:

Whatever your brand claims to sneek in!

Method:

Whatever your brand asked you to do!

Karamani Kai Poriyal

Karamani Kai Poriyal:

Black Eye Beans Stir-fry. Kidney Beans Stir-fry. Karamani Kai Fry.

This was my favourite dish back then in Hyderabad hostel. Our cook Pushpa....made this simple dish...mouth watering. After when I moved out to separate place...I stir-fried it! Although I never finely chop them......always thought...finely chopping makes a big damage to the vitamins and nutrients! Well...today I felt like cooking the same way she did it!

Ingredients:

Black eye beans 1 bunch(slender and young ones)
Garlic 1 whole head peeled, chopped and crushed
Onion 1 large finely chopped
Tomato 1 small chopped
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Curry leaves few
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Trim the ends and finely chop the beans. Set aside.

Heat up a pan, add oil. Add mustard and curry leaves. Wait till they pop.

Add garlic and onion. Fry till fragrant.

Add tomatoes and fry real good, till they wilt.

Now stir-in chopped beans, add salt, turmeric and chili powders to it! Cover and cook.

When the veggies is done without any moisture and oil shows up on sides, remove from heat.

Serve warm as a side dish for south Indian meals or chappathi!

Avaraikai Sambar

Avaraikai Sambar:

Snow Peas Sambar. Chikudukai Sambar. Broad Beans Sambar.

Ingredients:

Broad beans/snow peas 1/2 kilo(Sliced)
Thoor Dal 1 cup
Onion 1 large
Tomato 1 large
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Sambar Powder(home made) 1-2 spoons
Tamarind paste 1 spoon
Ghee or oil few spoons
Cilantro leaves to garnish.

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Ghee/ Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a pressure cooker, add thoor dal + salt + few spoons of oil. Pressure cook till tender. Maybe for 3-6 whistles.

Now set this dal aside.

In a large crock pot, heat ghee. Add onions and fry till it is transluscent.

Then add toamtoes and fry till they turn pulpy. Add salt, turmeric and chili powder to this. Fry for 2 minutes.

Now stir-in sliced veggies and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Maybe till the oil coats.

Add cooked thoor dal now. Cover and cook till the veggies are done.

When the veggies are done, add tamarind paste, samabar powder and cilantro leaves. Bring this to boil once. Then transfer the contents to display ware.

In a seperate pan, heat oil and fry the tempering items in it. Then run this seasonning over the sambar prepared.

Basmati Payasam

Basmati Payasam:(Version 2)

Basmathi Kheer. Rice Kheer.

I have already made this recipe....see under 'Rice Kheer'! But this version is kind of fix recipe with left over cooked rice. Moreover I used low calorie sweetener today! Also reduced the quantity of half and half and condensed milk! Hope this works! I also cooked rice conventionally in a pot....yes...with excess water! And discarded much of its starch...through that water!:)

Ingredients:

Cooked Basmati rice(extra long rice) 1/4 cup
Sweetener 4-6 heavy spoons(use one that has no aspartame in it)
Whole Milk 2 cups
Half n Half 1/2 cup
Condensed milk few spoons
Saffron 1/4 spoon
Cardamom seeds powder 1 spoon
Kewra essence 1 spoon
Ghee/Clarified butter few spoons(optional)

Method:

Soak 1/4 spoon of saffron in 2-4 spoons of milk for about 2 hours. Using mortar and pestle wet-grind it. Set aside.

In a large vessel, heat ghee. Toast the cooked rice for few minutes and set aside.

In the same vessel, add sugar + 1/2 cup of water. Bring this to syrup like consistency.

Now stir-in toasted cooked rice and continue cooking.

Add whole milk, half n half and condensed milk to this. Continue boiling. Stir regularly.

When the milk is half the way reduced, add cardamom seeds powder, kewra essence and wet-ground saffron to it.

Cook over medium heat for a while. Maybe till the rice is done and the milk really thickens to pudding stage.

Transfer them to display dish. Chill and serve.

Serve chilled, warm or at room temperature.

Aval Upma

Aval Upma:

Pohe Upma. Poha Upma. Avalaki Upma.

Ingredients:

Rice flakes(aval/poha') 1 cup
Potato 1 cubed
Salt
Turmeric 1 pinch
Green chilies 1 finely chopped
Ginger 1-2" finely chopped
Onion 1 fienly chopped
Chana-Urad dal 2 spoons
Mustard 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1 pinch
Curry leaves few
Cilantro to garnish
Lemon juice 2 spoons
Oil few spoons.

Method:

Rinse quickly the rice flakes....held them in colander....set aside.

In a wide wok, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, asafoetida, chilies, ginger, chana-urad dal and curry leaves. Wait till they pop up.

Add onions and potaoes. Fry real good. Cover and cook.

Add salt and turmeric as well. When the potatoes are almost done, stir-in washed rice flakes. Cover and cook for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat...add lemon juice and cilantro leaves.

Enjoy this mild food as breakfast or dinner!

Mutton Varuval

Mutton Fry:

Iraichi Varuval. Mutton Thokku.

Ingredients:

Goats Meat 1/2 kilo
Garlic 1 whole head-peeled & sliced
Ginger 1" grated
Onion 1 bulb grated
Tomatoes 1-2 chopped
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1/2 spoon
Pepper powder 2 spoons
Garam Masala powder 1/4 spoon
Bay leaves 2 crumbled
Curry leaves crisply fried to garnish
Sesame oil 1/4 cup.

Method:

In a wok, heat oil. Add bay leaves.

Add ginger and onion....fry real good. Maybe till onion turns to golden color.

Add garlic and tomatoes....fry till tomatoes wilt.

Add salt, turmeric, chili, pepper and garam masala powders.

Now stir-in meat....fry till they turn to opaque.

Add 4 cups of water....cook with or without lid. Pressure cooker will make it really fast!

When the meat turns tender and juicy...without leaving any moisture, remove from heat.

Add pepper powder to taste, add curry leaves too!

Serve to go with your regular South Indian meals or plain rasam rice!

Vazhaithandu Lemon Salad

Vazhaithandu Lemon Salad:

Plantain Stem/Banana Stem Salad.

Ingredients:

Plantain Stem(slender)
Salt
Lemon 1 fruit sqeezed
Musard seeds 1/4 spoon
Cumin 1/4 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida 1 pinch
Curry leaves 2-4 finely chopped
Oil 1 spoon.

Method:

Chop the stem carefully. Like first start them as roundels....each time...remove their extra fibre. Then go sideways of cutting. Maybe pile up the roundels.

Leave these chopped stem in cold water to avoid discoloration. Now use a sparp edged spokes(I used mor-mathu, a kind of whisk). Use this to remove excess fibres from the plantain.(Just give a shwirl in that water).

Well...now heat up the oil in a pan, Add all the seasonning items and wait till they pop.

Now bring the plantain stem in a non-reactive bowl, add salt plus lemon juice! Further add above fried sasonning!

Serve chilled as a salad! Yes...thats really refreshing one I ever had!!

Nethili Karuvadu - Mochai Kuzhambu

Nethili Mochai Kuzhambu:(Country Style)

Nethili Karuvadu Kuzhambu. Karuvattu Kuzhambu. Dry Fish Curry totally Country Style. Sukka Machili Curry. Dry Anchovies in Tamarind Curry.

There are several varieties of dry fish! I know just few of them Valai, Vanjiram and Nethili. You could use any dry fish for this curry.

Ingredients:

Dry Fish(Anchovies)1 cup
Dry Snow Peas/Mochai Kottai 1 fistful
Peanuts 1 fistful
Eggplants 2 sliced
Raddish 1 sliced
Plantain 1 chunks
Garlic 1 whole head peeled and crushed
Onion 1 chopped
Tomatoes 2 chopped
Tamarind puree 1 cup
Salt
Turmeric 1/2 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Mustard 1/4 spoon
Cumin 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida 1/4 spoon
Peppercorns 1/4 spoon
Fenugreek 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Thalippu Vadagam 1-2 spoons(optional)
Sesame oil 1/4 cup.

Method:

Soak dry snow peas and peanuts a day early in water.

Pressure cook them using the same water. Maybe add little salt.

In a wok, heat little oil. Add garlic and onion. Fry real good till they get little brown.

Add toamtoes and fryt ill they wilt.

Add salt, turmeric and chili powder. Further add all the veggies and cooked nuts to it.

Cover and cook for a while. Then add tamarind water....bring this to boil.

Now add washed and cleaned dry fish to this curry. Let them slow cook for a while. When oil shows up on sides, remove from heat.

In a seperate pan, heat oil. Add all the seasonning item, when they pop up...run this to the above curry.

Serve warm to go with your plain rice.

Kaima Kanjji

Kaima Spicy Kanji:(Version 2)

Ramadhaan Soup. Meat-Basmati Soup recipe. Kaima/Kyma/Keema Kanji. Kaima/Kyma/Keema Soup.

When it comes to Solo Cooking! I am King(okay queen)! I don't know I like the fact of solo cooking...unlike my friends! I could toss anything in minutes. I also do some elaborte cooking during weakends! But sometimes.....if I am bored to cook, no friends coming over to visit me and its pouring(raining)outside....this is my comfort and favorite food!

Ingredients:

Basmati rice 200 gms
Split green gram 200 gms (moong dal without skin/pasi paruppu in Tamil/Split lentils)
Fenugreek seeds 3 spoons
Minced meat/Mutton keema 200 gms(its good to use goat's minced meat here or lamb if you dont find it)
Mint 3 twigs
Coriander leaves 1 handful
Onion 1 large
Tomato 1 large
Green chilies 5-6
Ginger-garlic paste 2 spoons
Salt to taste
Chili powder 1 spoon
Garam Masala powder 1/4 spoon
Oil /ghee/clarified butter- 1 cup
Cinamon 1-2
Cloves 3
Bay leaves 1-2
Cardamom pods 3
Marathi mokku 1-2

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl marinate minced meat with salt and 1 spoon ginger-garlic paste.

2. In a large pressure cooker, add ghee and wait till its smoky hot. Add spices to it one by one...cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, Marathi mokku, bay leaves and fenugreek seeds. Or tie all the spices ina small muslin cloth/baggie except fenugreek seeds. Drop this muslin bag while frying....instead of adding spices as such.(so that you can remove your spices after cooking)

3. When they are almost fried add slitted green chilies and allow it to crack.

4. Now add thinly sliced onions and fry them till golden brown.

5. Add remaining ginger-garlic paste and fry for a while....till its raw smell goes away.

6. Now add finely chopped mint, coriander leaves, tomato chunks. Fry them until they lose their water content and oil shows up on top.

7. Add marinated meat and toss it for a while till meat turns pale. Then add rice plus moong dal/split lentils.

8. Add salt, chili and garam masala powders. Then add excess of water and pressure cook it over medium heat.

9. Once the kanji/soup is ready garnish it with coriander leaves.

10. If you did had the spices in muslin cloth.....remove it, before serving.

Nellikkai Oorugai

Nellikkai Instant Pickle:

Gooseberries Pickle. Amla ki Achaar.

Ingredients:

Gooseberries 1 cup crushed
salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Freshly ground chili powder 1 spoons
Asafoetida 1/2 spoon
Mustard seeds 1 spoons
Curry leaves few
Sesame oil few spoons.

Method:

Crush these berries. Oh yeah....discard the seeds if you don't like them! Set them aside in a display bowl.

In a pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds....allow them to pop well.

Then add curry leaves and asafoetida. Fry them for few seconds.

Add salt, turmeric and chili powder to this. Just few seconds....remove them from stove.

Run this over the chopped berries. Mix them well. Thats it....its ready, get eating.

For variation....one can add dash of fenugreek and mustard powder too.

Its easy to fix....simple instant pickle. Well...keep them in a non-reactive bowl! The acid in the berries may react with steal or iron vessels! Using sea salt would be a good idea. They don't give any metallic taste to the pickle!!

Duck Fry

Duck Fry:

Duck Pepper Fry. Duck Garlic Fry. Vaathu Varuval.

Ingredients:

Duck Meat 1/2 kilo
Garlic 1 whole head-peeled & sliced
Ginger 1" grated
Onion 1 bulb grated
Tomatoes 1-2 chopped
Salt
Turmeric 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1/2 spoon
Pepper powder 2 spoons
Mustard 1/4 spoon
Cumin seeds 1-2 spoons
Chana+Urad dal 1 spoon
Curry leaves crisply fried to garnish
Sesame oil 1/4 cup.

Method:

In a wok, heat oil. Add mutard, cumin, chana+urad dal. Wait till they splutter up.

Add ginger and onion....fry real good. Maybe till onion turns to golden color.

Add garlic and tomatoes....fry till tomatoes wilt.

Add salt, turmeric, chili and pepper powders.

Now stir-in meat....fry till they turn to opaque.

Add 4 cups of water....cook with or without lid.

When the meat turns tender and juicy...without leaving any moisture, remove from heat.

Add pepper powder to taste, add curry leaves too!

Serve to go with your regular South Indian meals or plain rasam rice!

Figs Milk Shake

Figs Milk Shake:

Athi Pazham Shake. Athi Pazham Milk Shake.

Figs are known as fertility tree!! Although it does'nt have anything to with it! Since it grows in clusters! Probably antient fore-fathers thought it would have contributed something in that sphere!

The botanical name of this cluster fig is Ficus racemosa, It is called Higo in Spanish, Figue in French, Feige in German and Fico Italin.

Figs are used as treatment for constipation . Green figs are used for treating general illness. Dry figs helps coughs, cleanses the breast and help infirmities of the lungs, shortness of wind, they loose the belly, purge the reins, help infirmities of the liver and spleen; outwardly they dissolve swellings!

Ingredients:

Fresh figs 4-6
Heavy/whole milk 4 cups
Sugar as per taste
Vanilla essence few drops
Vanilla icecream 1-2 scoops (optional)

Method:

Blend all the above together! Bring this to foamy shake in tall glass tumblers!

Serve chilled!!

Vegetable Keema Curry

Veg Keema Curry:

Veg-Kheema Curry. Minced Veggies Curry. Kai Kothu Kari Kuzhambu.

When pantry is full with lots of veggies....some of us will have hard time....deciding which one to cook first! My idea is....take little bit of everything throw into one dish! I prefer making veg-biriyani or vegetable korma....after a heavy shopping day! So on the other day....I got remembered of this dish....we used to have in Punjabi Dhaba! Here you go...

Ingredients:

Veggies(of your choice)finely minced
Onion grated 1 cup
Tomatoes pureed 2 cups
Ginger-garlic paste 1 spoon
Tamarind paste 1/4 spoon
Salt
Turmeeric /4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Butter Few cubes.

Method:

In a wide wok, melt butter. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for 2 minutes.

Followed by onion paste. Fry real good, maybe until its golden color.

Now add tomato puree as well. Cover and cook for a while.

When oil shows up on sides, add salt, turmeric and chili powders to it.

Further add minced veggies. Cook without lid for about 5-7 minutes.

Then add tamarind water and allow this to boil. Wait till the gravy thickens and oil shows up on sides. Remove from heat.

Serve warm to go with your Roti, Naan, Kulcha, Paratha or Chappathi.

Plantain Flower Usili

Vazhaipoo Usili:

Plantain Flower Subzi. Vazhai-Poo Usili. Attipoo/ arattipoo Usili. Kela ka Fool Usili.

When I visited my hometown.....we have palntain tree in the house! I happen to cook palntain flower all the time! We either make 'kootu' or 'vadai' generally! So...for a change...I was going thro' local magazines and came up with this idea of making usili. My Dad really appreaciated this dish! So as Mommy and Bro' Pari!!

Ingredients:

Plantain Flower 1 large(see my other plantain flower recipes for cleaning instructions)
Mustard seeds 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Chana dal 1/2 spoon
Urad dal 1/2 spoon
Curry leaves few
Green chilies 3 finely chopped
Dry red chilies 6
Chana dal 1 cup(soaked in water for 20 minutes)
Ginger-garlic paste 1 spoon
Fennel seeds 3 spoons
Salt(to grind with dal)
Salt for beans
Turmeric 1 pinch
Curry leaves few(to grind)
Oil 2 cups

Method:

In a blender dry grind fennel seeds, salt, dry chilies and curry leaves. Set them aside.

Wet grind chana dal bit coarsely and set aside.

In a pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin, curry leaves, chana and urad dal. Let them pop and splutter well.

To this add green chilies and finely chopped flower. Fry well. Add salt and 1 pinch of turmeric powder. Sprinkle little water over this. Cover and cook.

When it is 3/4th cooked add chana-wet ground paste and cook without lid. Let the dal paste get well coated with the vegetable. Toss to all the sides..until dal gets fried and cooked.

Run few spoons of oil now, if needed. The dal should not be wet or undercooked anymore. It should be sort of crispy and fragrant now.

Serve this hot as a side dish to rice or chappathi/roti.

Vazhaithandu Soup:

Plantain Stem Soup.

Plantain stem is full of fibres! Tamilians use it as vegetable...only when it is tender. The bottom most stem is bit hard...with this tuff fibre, where it makes cooking hard! Sometimes....when you leave these stem for couple of days in fridge...there you go! Most of the moisture dries up! Only at those occasions we prefer juicing them or making soup recipe! Yeah....plantain stem is appreciated for its fibre....it helps to clarify ones gall stones! Its a perfect soluction for kidney trobles! The water content! Amazing...teeny little stem holds so much of nutritious water! If the stem is very slender and tender....eat them raw in lemon salad or yogurts based salad! Mid sized stem....poriyal, kootu and sambar. Again...bottom most generally discarded or thought unpalatable stem....goes into soup,juice or rasam recipe!

Ingredients:

To be Toasted Each Seperately and Powdered Togather:

Coriander seeds 1 fistful
Whole peppercorns 2 spoons
Cumin seeds 2 spoons

Coarsely Wet-Grind These:

Chilies 1-2
Onion 1 small bulb
Ginger 1-2" piece
Garlic 2-3 beads
Tomato 1
Curry leaves few
Coriander leaves few

To chop:

Plantain stem - finely grated/juiced(depends upon the stem you got)
Scalion 1
Tomato 1
Cilantro leaves few
Salt
Turmeric 1 pinch

Sesonning:

Cumin seeds 1/2 spoon
Peppercorns 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves few
Oil few spoons.

Method:

In a wide pot/dutch oven, heat oil. Add pepper, cumin and curry leaves. Wait till it pops up.

Add chopped ingredients, salt and pinch of turmeric to it. Saute for few minutes.

Add 4-6 mugs of water...bring it to boil. Add powdered spices too. Let this boil really well over low-medium heat! Maybe till all the spices and stem's flavour steep into the soup liquid.

Remove from heat and serve immediately as a starter. Serves best as a in between- meals.

Vajjiram Chettinad:

King Fish in Rich Indian Spices. Super Hot Fish in spicy-tangy Curry. Chettinadu Meen Kuzhambu. Chapalu Pulusu - Chettinadu Cooking. Machili Curry in Chettinad Style. Araithu Vitta Meen Kuzhambu. Meen Masala Kuzhambu. Vanjiram Masala Kuzhambu. Vanjiram Meen Kuzhambu.

I don't know how many of you'll will agree....when it comes to dicing the veggies or selection of fish fillet. I go by this thumb rule....buy them in uniform size! Or just make sure of chopping them uniformly! My brother was scolding me on the other day....when I asked him to pick all the eggplants of same size! My pappa went nuts when I asked for all the fillet in uniform size for this curry! Anyway....to me cooking is basic science! If you plan for these minor details then the results are marvelous! Yeah....uniform heat to a uniformly diced/sliced veggies/meat will result in thorough cooking of all the veggies/meat in the same fashion. Although...selection of vessel and quantity of stuff used....plays a key role! Well...if you concentrate on science....everything comes out handy!!!

Ingredients:

King Fish Fillets 6-8
Green chilies 3 slitted
Curry leaves few few
Fennel seeds 1 spoon
Fenugreek seeds 1/4 spoon
Salt
Turmeric powder 1/4 spoon
Chili powder 1 spoon
Coriander seeeds powder 1 spoon
Tamarind paste 1 spoon(whole pods-lemon size squeezed into puree)
Sesame oil 1/4 cup.

To be Fried in Little Oil & Wet-Ground to Paste:

Fennel seeds 1-2 spoons
Peppercorns 1-2 spoons
Shallots 100 grams
Garlic 10-15 beads
Country Tomatoes 2
Coconut half shell.

Method:

In a heavy bottomed vessel, heat oil. Add fennel, fenugreek, curry leaves and chilies. Wait till they pop up. Reserve them for garnishing!

Now add wet-ground paste to the same oil. Fry real good...maybe fry till its raw odour leaves the pan.

Now add salt, turmeric, chili and coriander powders. Fry real good for about 2 minutes.

Now add tamarind puree and 2 cups of water. Cook them over medium heat without lid.

Let the curry thicken and oil show up on top.

Add washed and cleaned fish fillets. Allow this to cook over medium heat for about 2-4 minutes. Better....cover the fish with curry.

Never use lid after adding fish.
Remove them from stove and immediately transfer them to display vessel. Even slightest conduction heat will make the fish go flaky! I like them full, firm, well-cooked! To have more juicier fillets....allow this curry to sit for a while before serving. Probably about an hour or so!!!