Capsicum & Shrimp Curry

Ingredients:- 

Capsicum - 5 Big ones
Tomato - 1 Big (Chopped)
Onion - 1 Big (Thin slice)
Garlic - 1 tbsp (chopped)
Ginger - 1 tbsp (chopped)
Curry Leaves - 3 strands
Chilly Powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Thick Coconut milk - 1 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - To taste

Method:-

Clean and de-vein the shrimps and keep it aside.

In a heavy-bottomed pan (preferably non-stick), add all the ingredients together and cover and cook until all the water has evaporated and it achieves the consistency of a gravy. Check for salt and it's ready to be served.

Serve it hot hot with rice, chapati, paratha, nan, etc.........

Fried Fish Curry

FRIED FISH CURRY

Ingredients:-

Ayila/Mackerel - 6 pieces
Onion - 3 (big ones)
Ginger Juliennes - 1-1/2 tbsp
Garlic Juliennes - 1-1/2 tbsp
Curry leaves - 3 strands
Green Chillies - 2
Pepper Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1-1/4 tsp
Kashmiri Chilly Powder - 2-1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Salt - To taste
Oil - For frying
Thick coconut Milk - 1/2 cup
Vinegar - 3 tbsp or to taste
Water - 2 cups

Method:-

First clean the fish and make deep cuts on the fish. Clean it well once again. To this, add 1 tsp of pepper powder, 1 tsp of Kashmiri chilly powder, 1-1/4 tsp of turmeric powder, salt and keep it aside.

After 15 mins, in a pan, heat some oil (preferably coconut oil) and fry the marinated fish. Once done with frying keep the fried fish aside and to the same oil, add the ginger and garlic slices, slit green chillies and curry leaves and fry until the aroma comes out and then to this add chopped onions. Cook until the onions become translucent and then add 1-1/4 tsp of chilly powder and 2 tsp of coriander powder to this. Cook till oil separates. To this, add 2 glasses of water and 3 tbsp of vinegar. Check for salt. Once the mixture starts to boil add fried fish and the thick coconut milk. Give it a Swirl. Once again, check for salt and tanginess.

Do not eat it right away, let it sit for around 4 to 5 hours so that the fish can absorb the tanginess of the gravy.

Serve it with rice, chapati, paratha...etc

UNNIAPPAM

Ingredients:-

Rava - 1/2 cup
Maida/All purpose flour - 2 cups
Jaggery - 3 cubes
Cheru pazham/Dessert Banana - 3 nos
Cardamom - 4 pods
Jeera/Cumin seeds - a pinch
Salt - a pinch
Water - As needed
Cashew nuts - 10 pcs
Coconut pieces - 10 pcs
Ghee - 1 tbsp


Method:-

In a heavy-bottomed pan, add 2 cups of water and cubes of jagger and leave them to melt. Once the jaggery has melted, strain it and keep it aside.

Make a smooth paste of the dessert bananas and keep aside.

In a pan, heat 1 tbsp of ghee and fry the cashew nuts and coconut pieces until golden brown and keep it aside.

In a bowl, mix the all purpose flour, rava, cardamom and jeera powder and mix well. To this add the mashed bananas and fried nuts. To this, add the melted jaggery bit by bit until you have reached the consistency of an idly batter that is not too thick n not too thin. Mix well and let it rest for around 2 hrs or until u can see small bubbles appearing in the batter.

Heat oil in an unniappam pan and once it is smoking hot, add the batter into the pan and fry both sides until brown.

JEERA RICE

Ingredients:-

Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Water - 5 cups
Jeera - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1 cup
Bay leaves - 1
Cinnamon Stick - 2
Cardamom - 2
Cloves - 2
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Salt- To taste

Method:-

First wash and soak the rice for 1 hour. After an hour, wash and keep aside the rice to drain.

In a non-stick pan, add ghee and once hot, add jeera, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Once they start to splutter, add the drained rice, salt and fry it for a few minutes. To this, add water and coriander leaves. Check for salt. Cover and cook until all the water has evaporated and the rice is cooked. Transfer the rice into a serving bowl and serve hot hot with any curry you like.

Note:- You can garnish it with fried onions and nuts if you prefer.

YUMMY AVIAL/VEGETABLE CURRY

Ingredients:-

Potato - 1 big
Carrot - 1
Cluster Beans - 7
Yam/Cheena - 1/4 kg
Tomato - 1 big
Dal/Parippu - 1/2 cup
Curd - 3 tbsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Grated coconut - 1 1/2 cup
Green Chilli - 2 (or as per your spice level)
Cumin/Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Salt - To taste

Method:-

Clean, peel, and cut the vegetables into strip of 1 inch thickness making sure all the vegetables are of the same size. Cook the veggies with 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder and dal in a pressure cooker or a pan. Once the veggies are cooked, keep them aside.

Now grind the grated coconut with 1/2 a cup of water, 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder, green chillies and 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds. No need to make it into a smooth paste, just coarsely grind it.

In a pan, mix the cooked veggies and the coconut paste, let it cook for 5 to 10 mins. Add salt to taste. Once the raw taste of coconut is gone, you can add well-beaten curd into it and give it a good stir. No need to boil it again. Switch off the flame and add 2 tsps of oil and give a good stir once again.

Serve the yummy avial hot hot with rice......

DUMPLINGS IN MUTTON GRAVY

Ingredients:- For Mutton Gravy

Mutton - 1/2 kg
Onion - 1-1/2 big
Tomatoes - 1-1/2 big
Ginger/Garlic paste - 1 tsp each
Coriander powder - 1 tsp heaped
Kashmiri chilly powder - 3/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon - One 1/2 inch stick
Cardamom - 3 pieces
Cloves - 3 pieces
Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt - To taste
Oil - 2 tbsp
Thin coconut milk - 2 cups
Thick coconut milk - 1 cup
Chopped coriander leaves - 1 cup

Method:-

First cut the mutton into small pieces, clean them well, drain and keep it aside.

In a pressure cooker, add 2 tbsp of oil and when the oil is hot, add the whole spices and wait till it starts to splutter. To this, add thinly sliced onions and saute till the onions become translucent. Now, add the ginger/garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes. Add chopped tomatoes into this along with the coriander, chilly, turmeric and garam masala powder. Cook until the raw smell of the masala is gone, the tomatoes mashed and the oil starts to separate. To this, add the mutton pieces, mix well. Add 2 cups of thin coconut milk into this and cook for up to 4 to 5 whistles or until done. 

Once the mutton is cooked, transfer it into a wide pan. Add the dumplings into the boiling mutton gravy and cover and cook until the dumplings are well cooked and the gravy has thickened. Now, to this, add 1 cup of chopped coriander leaves and 1 cup of thick coconut milk.
Give it a good stir taking care not to break the dumplings.

Serve hot hot.

Ingredients:- For Dumplings

Rice Flour - 4 cups
Boiling water - 2-1/2 cups
Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1 tsp
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Salt - To taste
Oil/ghee - 1 tsp

Method:-

Boil 2-1/2 cups of water along with salt and oil. To this, add rice flour and stir it well. Once the mixture has cooled down a bit, mix it well with your hands into a soft dough. Now, make small balls and press them gently with your palm and make a small hole in the middle with your finger. Add these to the boiling mutton gravy and cook until done.

MUTTON ROAST

Ingredients:-

Mutton - 1 kg

Onion - 4 big 

Tomatoes - 3 big

Potato - 1 big (cut into strips or as you desire)

Cashew nut - 1/4 cup (chopped)

Kismis (Raisins) - 1/4 cup

Ginger/Garlic paste - 1 tbsp each

Curry Leaves 2 strands

Coriander leaves - 1 cup

Cinnamon - 2 inch sticks

Cardamom - 5 pieces

Cloves - 5 pieces 

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri Chilli powder - 3/4 tbsp

Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Coconut milk/powder - 2 cups (thin milk)/ 1 cup thick milk

Oil - for frying

Salt - to taste

Method:-

First clean and cut the mutton pieces and keep aside.

In a non-stick pan or cooker add 2 tbsp of oil and when the oil gets hot, add the whole spices and once it starts to splutter add 3 thinly sliced onions and curry leaves into it. Cook till the onion turns translucent. To this, add the ginger/garlic paste and saute till the raw smell disappears. To this, add the chopped tomatoes, coriander powder, chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt, and garam masala. Cook until the masalas are cooked, tomatoes mashed, and the oil starts to separate. To this, add the chopped mutton pieces, no need to add any water at this point. Let the mutton pieces cook in its own juices. (If using a cooker, add 1 cup of coconut milk and cook it for up to 5 whistles or until cooked.) Cover and cook stirring occasionally. Once all the water has evaporated and the meat gets well coated with the masalas, add 2 cups of coconut milk and cover and cook again until the meat is cooked.

Peel, wash, and cut the potato into thin strips or any shape you desire. Add 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder and salt. Marinate it for a few minutes and deep fry them until golden brown. Keep it aside.

In another pan, add 2 tbsp of oil and add the sliced onion. Saute it until it turns translucent and den add the chopped cashew nuts into this. Once the cashews starts changing color, add the raisins into it and fry till they change into golden brown. Keep it aside.

Finally, add the fried potatoes, fried cashes/raisins/onions, 1 cup of thick coconut milk, and 1 cup of chopped corianders into the cooked mutton and give it a good stir. Check for salt. Cook it for another minute and itz done.

Serve hot with rice, paratha, chapati, nan, bread, etc.......

NOTE: Adding fried cashews/raisins/onions are not necessary, but it does give a special taste to the curry. You can also decrease the amount of oil if you prefer. This curry is not very spicy, so if you want you can increase the amount of chilly and coriander to your taste.

BEANS MUTTA THORAN

Ingredients:-

Beans - 1/2 Kg
Onion - 1 (medium size)
Green Chillies - 3 (or as per your spice level)
Curry Leaves - 3 strands
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Garlic - 1 clove
Cumin sees - 1/2 tsp
Egg - 1 big
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - for cooking
Salt- to taste

Method:-

First clean and cut the beans into small pieces. In a pan, add the chopped beans, salt, 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder, 2 cups of water and cook until soft.

Now, coarsely grind the garlic, green chillies and cumin seeds . Keep it aside.

In another pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil. When the oil is hot, add the ground mixture into this saute for a few seconds and then add the chopped onion and curry leaves. Cook until the onion turns slightly brown. To this, add 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder and grated coconut. Cook for another 5 minutes. To this, add the cooked beans with the left over water if any. If there is no water left, add another 1/2 a cup of water. Into this, break in the egg and cook with constantly stirring until all the water has evaporated and the egg well combined.

Serve hot with rice or chapati.

MUTTON ROAST

Ingredients:-

Mutton - 1 kg
Onion - 3 Big
Tomato - 3 Big
Ginger/Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 1 tbsp (thinly sliced)
Ginger - 1 tbsp (thinly sliced)
Kashmiri Chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala - 1-1/2 tsp
Currey Leaves - Plenty
Coconut Oil - 3 tbsp
Salt - To taste


Method:-

First clean the chopped mutton pieces well and keep it aside to drain. In a bowl, mix the kashmiri chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, salt, torn pieces of curry leaves (a handful), ginger-garlic paste, and 1 tbsp of coconut oil along with the mutton pieces. Let the marinated mutton sit for 1 hour.

In a pressure cooker, add 1 cup of water and cook the marinated mutton for up to 5 whistles. Once cooked, check if any water is left. If so, evaporate all the water away from the mutton pieces.

In a non-stick pan, add 2 tbsp of oil. Once the oil gets hot, add the thinly sliced onions, a handful of curry leaves and saute till it turns translucent. To this, add the thinly sliced ginger and garlic. Cook until the color has changed to light brown. To this, add the chopped tomato's and cook till the oil starts to separate.  To this, add 1/2 tsp of garam masala and the mutton pieces. Let the mutton get well covered with the gravy.

Serve hot with rice, ghee rice, fried rice, chapati, paratha, kubbus, etc.....

Note:- Use coconut oil since that gives a very good aroma and taste. You can adjust the amount of spices. If you wants really spicy one then go ahead and add a few slit green chillies too.

CHICKEN MACARONI WITH WHITE SAUCE

Ingredients:-

Macaroni - 1/2 a packet
Chicken - 1 breast piece
Mushrooms - 6
Chicken Sausage - 6 pieces
Pepper Powder - 1 tsp
Butter - 1-1/2 tbsp
Salt - To taste

Cook macaroni as per the instructions given on the packet. When the macaroni is cooked, put it in a colander and wash off the starch by placing it under running cold water and drain. Mix it with a few drops of oil, so that the macaroni will not stick.

First cut the chicken breast into thin slices, clean and keep it aside to drain. Clean and slice the mushrooms and keep aside. Make think strips of sausage and keep it aside.

Now in a non-stick pan, add 1-1/2 tbsp of butter and to this add the chicken strips, saute it for 2 mins and to this add the sliced mushrooms. Add salt to taste if you are using an unsalted butter and 1 tsp of pepper powder. Cover and cook until all the water has evaporated. Now, to this add the sliced sausage and saute until it turns slightly brown.

To the above, add the cooked and drained macaroni and let it get well-coated with the ingredients. 

White Sauce:-


Onion - 1 small
Milk - 3 cups
Butter - 2 tbsp
All purpose flour/Cornflour - 1 tbsp
Pepper Powder - 1 tsp
Cheddar Cheese - 3 pieces
Salt - To taste

First, melt 2 tbsp of butter in a pan and to this add the chopped onion and saute until it becomes translucent. To this, add pepper powder and 1 tbsp of all purpose flour or cornflour and saute for 2 mins. Now, switch off the flame and slowly add milk by constantly stirring making sure that no lumps are formed. Once you have added all the milk, turn on the fire and cook until the milk starts to turn thick. To this add the cheddar cheese and salt to taste. Once it has reached the consistency your require, switch off the flame.

In a serving plate, take macaroni and top it with white sauce and serve hot.


Note:- Always remember that the white sauce will turn a bit thicker once it cools.

Chicken Oats

Ingredients: -

Oats - 1 cup
Chicken - 1/4 of a breast piece
Onion - 1 Big
Ginger Garlic Paste - 3/4 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - A pinch
Curry Leaves - 2 Strands
Oil - For cooking
Water - 2-1/2 cup
Salt - To taste

Method:-

First clean and cut the chicken into thin strips and keep aside.

In a pan, add 2 tbsp of oil and to this add chopped onion and curry leaves. Saute the onion till it turns translucent. To this, add the ginger garlic paste and cook till the raw smell goes. Add pepper powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Saute it for a few minutes. To this, add the chicken strips and cook it until the chicken is done. To this, add water and once the water starts to boil, check for salt and add the oats. Cook it until the oats is cooked and all the water evaporates.

Serve hot.

Chemmeen Masala/Prawns Masala

Ingredients:-

Chemmeen/Prawns - 1 Kg
Onions - 2 big
Tomato - 2 small
Ginger - 1-1/2 tsp (chopped)
Garlic - 1-1/2 tsp (chopped)
Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 1-1/2 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 3/4 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt - To taste
Coconut Oil - For cooking
Coconut Milk - 2 cups of thin milk and 1 cup of thick milk
Curry Leaves - Plenty

Method:-

First clean and de-vein the prawns and keep it aside to drain. To the cleaned prawns add 1/2 tbsp of chilli powder, 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder, salt, as well as chopped ginger and garlic. Marinate the prawns in this masala and keep it aside for 15 mins.

Cook the marinated prawns with 1-1/2 cup of water and 2 to 3 strands of curry leaves. Cook it until all the water evaporates and to this add oil and thinly sliced onions. Cook until the onions become translucent. To this, add the chopped tomatoes and the remaining masalas. Add a few more stands of curry leaves to this. Fry it until oil starts to separate and the raw smell of the masala is gone.

To this, add 2 cups of coconut milk and adjust the gravy as per your requirement. Check for salt.
Once you have achieved the consistence you require for the gravy, add thick coconut milk and few more strands of curry leaves and switch off the flame.

Serve hot with rice, chapati, nan, paratha, etc.....

Note:- If you prefer the curry to be a bit more spicy, you can add slit green chillies or increase the amount of chilli powder. I used Eastern Coconut Milk Powder, since it gives a more natural taste. 

Mutton Korma

Ingredients:-

Mutton: 1 Kg
Onions: 3 (medium size)
Tomato: 2 (medium size)
Green Chilly: 3 (as per your taste)
Ginger Paste: 1 tbsp
Garlic Paste: 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Pepper Powder: 1 tsp (or to taste)
Salt: To taste
Coconut Milk/Powder: 1 cup thick milk
Coriander Leaves: 1 cup
Oil: 4 tbsp


Method:-

First wash the chopped mutton thoroughly and keep it aside to drain.

In a pressure cooker, add coconut oil, saute the onion until it turns translucent. To this, add the slit green chillies and ginger-garlic paste; saute till the raw smell goes. Now, add the chopped tomatoes, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder,1 tsp pepper powder, salt and cook till the oil starts to separate. To this, add the cleaned and drained mutton pieces, mix it well with the masala. If you want gravy, you can add second milk of coconut to this and close the lid of the pressure cooker and cook. After the first whistle, bring down the flame to low and cook for another 4 whistles or until the meat is cooked well. Once the cooker is cooled, open the lid, check the salt, add thick coconut milk and coriander leaves. Warm it once again, do not allow it to boil. Serve hot with ghee rice, rice, chapati, paratha, pathiri, bread, etc.........

Note: Coconut oil gives it good taste, but you can use any cooking oil.