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Kadai Chicken

Ingredients:

  • Chicken 500 grams (1 lbs)
  • Red chilies 1 cup
  • Coriander seeds 1 cup
  • Jeera ½ cup
  • Ginger ½ cup grated
  • Garlic 4 cloves finely chopped
  • Onions 2 cups finely sliced
  • Tomatoes 1 cup finely sliced
  • Curry leaves
  • Cilantro
  • Oil ½ cup

Procedure:

  1. Prep:
    • Fry red chilies, coriander seeds, and jeera each separate without oil till light brown and grind all three together a powder
  2. Put oil in pan and fry onions and tomatoes till light brown
  3. Add chicken and salt and stir for 5 minutes
  4. Add half the powder from step 1 and garlic, half the ginger and half of the curry leaves and stir
  5. Add 1 cup water and cook in pressure cooker for 2 whistles or 3 minutes. If you don’t have a pressure cooker then add 3 cups water and cook covered
  6. Add the rest of the powder from step 1 and stir for 2 minutes
  7. Add the rest of the ginger and curry leaves and the cilantro and turn off the stove

Drumstick Chicken

Ingredients:

  • Chicken drumsticks 4
  • Yoghurt 2 tsp
  • Turmeric powder ½ tsp
  • Ginger 1 inch
  • Garlic cloves 4
  • Garam masala ½ tsp
  • Egg 1
  • Corn powder 2 tsp
  • Lemon juice 2 tsp
  • Red chili powder  1 tsp

Procedure:

  1. Prep:
    • Grind ginger and garlic into fine paste without water
  2. Clean the chicken and cut slits into it.
  3. Add lemon juice and mix
  4. Add yogurt and mix
  5. Add turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, garam masala, salt. Mix in well
  6. Cover the chicken and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour
  7. Remove chicken from fridge.
  8. Beat the egg and add the corn powder and mix well
  9. Dip the chicken pieces in the egg-corn mix and deep fry the chicken pieces in oil

Note: Do not dip the chicken in too much egg-corn mix

Vegetable Korma

Ingredients:

  • Vegetables (Potatoes, Beans, Carrots, Green peas)
  • Coconut 1½ cup
  • Green chilies 8
  • Khas Khas (Poppy seeds) 2 tsp
  • Onions 2 cups; cut into thin 1 inch pieces
  • Tomatoes 1 cup; thin slices
  • Ginger 1 inch
  • Garlic cloves 8
  • Fennel seeds 1 tsp; ground into powder
  • Cinnamon 1 inch
  • Cloves 3
  • Cardamom 2
  • Curry leaves to garnish
  • Cilantro to garnish
  • Turmeric powder 2 pinches
  • Red chili powder ½ tsp
  • Coriander powder 1 tsp

Procedure:

  1. Prep:
    • Add salt, a pinch of turmeric powder and cook the vegetables
    • Grind the ginger and garlic into paste
    • Soak the khas khas in hot water
  2. Fry green chilies in oil till it has white spots and the grind into paste along with coconut, fennel, and khas khas
  3. Put some oil in pan and add the crushed fennel, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom and let it splutter
  4. Add the ginger and garlic paste, stir and immediately add the onions
  5. Fry till the onions are light brown and then add the tomatoes
  6. Fry till the onions and tomatoes have browned and then add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder and fry for a few minutes
  7. Add the curry leaves and salt and continue to fry for few more minutes
  8. Add the coconut-etc paste from step 2 and required amount of water, and the vegetables
  9. Let the kurma boil till the raw coconut smell is gone
  10. Turn off the stove and garnish the kurma with cilantro

Chicken Korma

Ingredients:

  • Chicken
  • Coconut 1½ cup
  • Green chilies 8
  • Khas Khas (Poppy seeds) 2 tsp
  • Onions 2 cups; cut into thin 1 inch pieces
  • Tomatoes 1 cup; thin slices
  • Ginger 1 inch
  • Garlic cloves 8
  • Fennel seeds 1 tsp; ground into powder
  • Cinnamon 1 inch
  • Cloves 3
  • Cardamom 2
  • Curry leaves to garnish
  • Cilantro to garnish
  • Turmeric powder 2 pinches
  • Red chili powder ½ tsp
  • Coriander powder 1 tsp

Procedure:

  1. Prep:
    • Grind the ginger and garlic into paste
    • Soak the khas khas in hot water
  2. Fry green chilies in oil till it has white spots and the grind into paste along with coconut, fennel, and khas khas
  3. Put some oil in pan and add the crushed fennel, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom and let it splutter
  4. Add the ginger and garlic paste, stir and immediately add the onions
  5. Fry till the onions are light brown and then add the tomatoes
  6. Fry till the onions and tomatoes have browned and then add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder and fry for a few minutes
  7. Add the curry leaves and salt and continue to fry for few more minutes
  8. Add the coconut-etc paste from step 2, the chicken pieces, and required amount of water
  9. Let the kurma boil till the raw coconut smell is gone
  10. Turn off the stove and garnish the kurma with cilantro

Mutton Korma

Ingredients:

  • Mutton
  • Coconut 1½ cup
  • Green chilies 8
  • Khas Khas (Poppy seeds) 2 tsp
  • Onions 2 cups; cut into thin 1 inch pieces
  • Tomatoes 1 cup; thin slices
  • Ginger 1 inch
  • Garlic cloves 8
  • Fennel seeds 1 tsp; ground into powder
  • Cinnamon 1 inch
  • Cloves 3
  • Cardamom 2
  • Curry leaves to garnish
  • Cilantro to garnish
  • Turmeric powder 2 pinches
  • Red chili powder ½ tsp
  • Coriander powder 1 tsp

Procedure:

  1. Prep:
    • Add 1 pinch turmeric powder, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste to the mutton and cook in pressure cooker with water
    • Grind the ginger and garlic into paste
    • Soak the khas khas in hot water
  2. Fry green chilies in oil till it has white spots and the grind into paste along with coconut, fennel, and khas khas
  3. Put some oil in pan and add the crushed fennel, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom and let it splutter
  4. Add the ginger and garlic paste, stir and immediately add the onions
  5. Fry till the onions are light brown and then add the tomatoes
  6. Fry till the onions and tomatoes have browned and then add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder and fry for a few minutes
  7. Add the curry leaves and salt and continue to fry for few more minutes
  8. Add the coconut-etc paste from step 2, the cooked mutton pieces and add the mutton stock left over from cooking the mutton in the pressure cooker. If needed add water
  9. Let the kurma boil till the raw coconut smell is gone
  10. Turn off the stove and garnish the kurma with cilantro

Chicken Biriyani

Ingredients:

  • Chicken 500 grams
  • Basmati rice 500 grams (soak in water for 30 minutes)
  • Onions 3 cups thinly sliced
  • Tomatoes 2 cups thinly sliced
  • Ginger 2 inch piece
  • Garlic 10 cloves
  • Green chilies 10 slit lengthwise and sautéed in oil and ground into paste along with ginger and garlic
  • Cinnamon two 1 inch sticks
  • Cloves 4
  • Cardamom 3
  • Bay leaf 1
  • Red chili powder ¼ tsp
  • Turmeric 1 pinch
  • Yogurt 1 cup
  • Mint 1 handful
  • Cilantro 1 handful
  • Ghee ½ cup
  • Oil 1 cup

Procedure:

  1. Add ½ cup oil to the pan and keep the stove on medium heat
  2. Once the oil is hot add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and bay leaves
  3. When the spices have spluttered add the onions and fry till the onions turn light brown
  4. Then add tomatoes and fry till the onions have browned
  5. Add the ginger/garlic/green-chili paste and keep frying for 2 minutes
  6. Add the chicken pieces, little ghee, little oil, and little salt. Fry for 5 minutes
  7. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, and yogurt. Fry to 2 minutes
  8. Add half of the mint and all of the cilantro; both chopped finely. Fry for 3 minutes
  9. Pour the gravy into the electric cooker and add the basmati rice. Add water (2 cups water to 1 cup rice)
  10. When the rice cooker is done cooking add the rest of the mint leaves to the biriyani

Notes:

  • Mix the chicken pieces with salt, pinch of turmeric powder, red chili powder, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, yogurt and marinate for 30 minutes. Fry the chicken pieces in oil till lightly browned but do not cook the chicken pieces fully

Mutton Biriyani

Ingredients:

  • Mutton 500 grams
  • Basmati rice 500 grams (soak in water for 30 minutes)
  • Onions 3 cups thinly sliced
  • Tomatoes 2 cups thinly sliced
  • Ginger 2 inch piece
  • Garlic 10 cloves
  • Green chilies 10 slit lengthwise and sautéed in oil and ground into paste along with ginger and garlic
  • Cinnamon two 1 inch sticks
  • Cloves 4
  • Cardamom 3
  • Bay leaf 1
  • Red chili powder ¼ tsp
  • Turmeric 1 pinch
  • Yogurt 1 cup
  • Mint 1 handful
  • Cilantro 1 handful
  • Ghee ½ cup
  • Oil 1 cup

Procedure:

  1. Add ½ cup oil to the pan and keep the stove on medium heat
  2. Once the oil is hot add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and bay leaves
  3. When the spices have spluttered add the onions and fry till the onions turn light brown
  4. Then add tomatoes and fry till the onions have browned
  5. Add the ginger/garlic/green-chili paste and keep frying for 2 minutes
  6. Add the mutton pieces, little ghee, little oil, and little salt. Fry for 5 minutes
  7. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, and yogurt. Fry to 2 minutes
  8. Add half of the mint and all of the cilantro; both chopped finely. Fry for 3 minutes
  9. Pour the gravy into the electric cooker and add the basmati rice. Add water (2 cups water to 1 cup rice)
  10. When the rice cooker is done cooking add the rest of the mint leaves to the biriyani

Notes:

  • Cook the mutton with a pinch of salt, and pinch of turmeric in pressure cooker for 2 whistles

Lemon Rasam

Ingredients:

  • Tomato ½
  • Lemon juice from 1 lemon
  • Whole black pepper 1 tsp
  • Cumin 1 tsp
  • Garlic 2 cloves
  • Red chili powder
  • Asafetida 1 pinch
  • Mustard seeds 1 tsp
  • Urad dal 1 tsp
  • Jeera 1 tsp
  • Green chili 1 (slit lengthwise)
  • Red chili 1
  • Curry leaves 4 or so
  • Cilantro

Procedure:

  1. Grind black pepper, cumin, and garlic into coarse paste and mix to 4 cups water
  2. Crush the tomato and add it to the mix along with turmeric and salt
  3. Garnish: Add oil to a pan and fry mustard seeds, urad dal, and cumin. Once it starts to splutter add asafetida and curry leaves and then immediately pour the mix from step 2 into the pan
  4. When the rasam starts to boil turn off the stove and add the lemon juice and cilantro

Notes:

  • Once you add the lemon juice taste the rasam; if the lemon taste is less then add more lemon juice
  • Do not add lemon juice to the rasam when it’s boiling. It will give the rasam a bitter taste.

Kottu Rasam

Ingredients:

  • Toor Dal 2 tsp
  • Red chilies 2
  • Whole black pepper 1 tsp
  • Cumin 1tsp
  • Garlic 2 cloves
  • Tamarind 1 inch cube
  • Mustard seeds 1tsp
  • Urad dal 1tsp
  • Asafetida 1 pinch
  • Curry leaves 4

Procedure:

  1. Fry toor dal, red chilies, black pepper, cumin, and garlic in a pan without oil until they brown. Grind them into a coarse powder. Mix the tamarind in 4 cups of water and add the ground up powder, turmeric, and salt. Place the mix on stove in medium heat
  2. Garnish: Add oil to a small pan and fry mustard seeds, urad dal, asafetida, and curry leaves and pour in to the rasam when it starts to boil and turn stove off

Alavanthipuram Special Rasam

Ingredients:

  • Toor dal 1 cup
  • Red chili powder ¼ tsp
  • Corriander powder ¼ tsp
  • Tumeric powder 1 pinch
  • Asafetida ½ pinch
  • Whole Black Pepper 1 tsp
  • Jeera 1tsp
  • Garlic 2 cloves
  • Tamarind 1 inch cube
  • Tomato 1
  • Oil 2 tsp
  • Mustard seeds 1 tbsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Curry leaves
  • Cilantro
  • Red chilies 2

Procedure:

  1. Grind black pepper, jeera, and garlic into coarse paste and keep aside
  2. Cook the toor dal. To the cooked toor dal add crushed tomatoes, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt, asafetida, and 5 cups of water. Heat on medium fire for 5 6 minutes to a boil.
  3. Add the paste from step 1 and immediately add 1 cup of tamarind water
  4. Garnish: Heat 2 tsp oil in pan and fry mustard seeds, urad dal, jeera, red chilies (broken in half), asafetida, curry leaves, and add to the rasam before it starts to boil
  5. Once the rasam is boiling turn off the stove and garnish with cilantro