Ingredients:

• Pumpkin (Parangi), Ash gourd (Poosani), Sweet Potato (sarkarai vallikkilangu), Potato, Beans, Brinjal, Raw banana (valaikkai), Broad/Fresh beans (avaraikkai/mochaikkai), Carrot, Colocasia (Seppankilangu), Green peas (pattani) –  each 50 g for four servimgs
• Small onions – 100 g
• Tomato 50 g
• Green chillies – 4 no
• Coriander leaves -finely chopped – half cup
• Curry leaves – half cup
• Red gram dhal (Tuar dhal-thuvaram paruppu) – 100 g
• Asafoedita Powder (Hing – Perungayam) – half tsp
• Red chillies powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder one & half tsp
• Turmeric powder – half tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Broken black gram (Urad dhal) – 1 tsp
• Oil & ghee – each 2  tsp

1. Clean and cut all vegetables (1″ square wherever possible)
2. Wash and slit green chillies
3. Wash and drain red gram dhal
4. Pour 6 cups of water in a pressure cooker and bring to boil
5. Add red gram dhal, all vegetables, red chillies powder, coriander powder, turmeric power, half tsp asafoedita, salt and allow it to boil for 5 m.
6. Cover the cooker and pressure cook for 3 whistles and reduce heat to  sim mode for 3 m
7. Remove from heat, release the pressure and open the cooker
8. Heat 3 tsp oil in a kadai, add urad dhal, mustard seeds, curry leaves and half tsp asafoedita. When mustard seeds splutter, add the  sambar and continue to boil for 3 m. If needed add water for required consistency
9. Add 2 tsp ghee and chopped coriander leaves

Ingredients:

Chenna kunni- 1 cup.

• Big onion- 2 nos-cut into fine pieces
• Tomato- 2 nos -cut into fine pieces
• Coconut powder/scrapings – 1 cup
• sombu-2 tsp
• chilli powder-2 tsp
• coriander powder-3 tsp
• turmeric powder-half tsp
• salt to taste
• curry leaves
• oil 4 tsp

Prep:

o Pour water over chenna kunni and wash gently to remove dirt and sand. Collect the clean floating chenna kunni. Repeat the wash 2 or 3 times until the sand settles down in water.

o Grind coconut and sombu into a fine paste and make up 150ml with water.

METHOD:

1. Add Chilli powder,  coriander powder, turmeric powder,  salt to taste, curry leaves to the coconut-sombu juice
2. Heat oil in a kadai, when hot add onion and fry until light brown, add tomato pieces and fry for 2 minutes. Add chenna kunni and fry for 1 minute.
3. Add kulambu mix (1) and cook for 10 minutes in medium fire until it thickens into gravy consistency.

Note: This gravy goes well with rice

Ingredients:

1. Nethili dry fish-20 nos. Remove head and tail, dip in water for 5 minutes, rub with hands to remove scales and dust and drain out water.
2. Tamarind-lemon size. Soak in water for 10 minutes, squeeze out juice and make up 3 tumblers of juice with water.
3. Onion big size 1- cut into half inch cubes
4. Garlic-5  gloves- smash thinly
5. Pepper powder-1 tsp, Chili powder 3 tsp, coriander powder- 4 tsp, turmeric powder-half tsp, any one vegetable: 1 Drumstick/ 2 pieces of mango/ 2 no Brinjal/ 1 plantain – cut into small pieces.
6. Fenugreek -1 tsp
7. Oil-4 tsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Curry leaves

METHOD:

• Mix all items in (5) in tamarind juice.

• Heat oil in a kadai, add fenugreek. When it splutters, add onion, garlic and  fish one after the other. Fry for 2 minutes in medium fire.

• Pour the kulambu mix in (1) and cook for 10 minutes in medium fire until the vegetables get cooked and thick consistency is obtained

• Remove from fire, add curry leaves.

Note: This dry fish gravy goes very well with rice and curd rice

Ingredients:

• Prawn/crab
• Coconut powder/scrapping – 1 cup with 2 tsp
• Sombu 2 tsp
• Fenugreek 1 tsp
• Chili powder 4 tsp
• Coriander powder 3 tsp
• Turmeric powder half tsp
• Salt to taste.
• Big onion 2 – cut into small pieces
• Tomato 1- cut into small pieces

Prep:

o Clean 500 gm prawn/crab pieces

o Grind coconut with  sombu and add  chili powder,  coriander powder,  turmeric and salt to taste.

o Chop 2 big onions and 1 tomato into fine pieces.

Method:

1. Heat 6 tsp of oil in a kadai and add 1 tsp fenugreek and allow it to splutter. Add onion pieces and fry for a minute, add tomato pieces and fry for another 1 minute. Add prawn/crab pieces and fry in oil for 1 minute.
2. Add coconut-masala paste, curry leaves, adequate water and cook for 10 minutes till raw smell disappears. Cook in slow fire till oil separates.

Note: It goes well with rice, idly or dosa.

Ingredients:

• Chicken 500g (1 lb) cut into small pieces
• garlic 6 cloves, crushed
• ginger 2 inch piece, crushed
• turmeric powder 1 tsp
• coconut – 3/4 cup
• pepper 3/4 tsp
• fennel seeds (sombu) 1/2 tsp (for grinding with coconut)
• cumin seeds (jeera) 1 tsp
• fennel seeds (sombu) 1 tsp
• cinnamon 1″
• cardamom 4
• cloves 4
• chili powder 2 tsp
• coriander powder 2.5 tsp
• Pearl onions – 1 cup, cut into big pieces
• Pearl onions – 1/4 cup, cut into thin, small pieces
• tomato 1/2 cup – cut into fine pieces
• curry leaves 1/2 cup

Prep:

o Grind coconut with pepper, fennel (1/2 tsp), cumin into fine paste with adequate water

Method:

1. Boil 6 cups of water in a pot
2. Add the chicken, the pearl onions that were chopped into big pieces, tomatoes, turmeric, chili powder, coriander powder, little bit of salt, half the crushed ginger
3. Cook in medium flame till the chicken is cooked; about 10 minutes
4. Add the rest of the crushed ginger and the rest of the salt
5. Add the ground coconut-pepper-fennel-cumin paste
6. Once the gravy starts to boil add the garnish (look below for garnish) and turn off the stove
   • Garnish:
     • Heat 6 tsp of oil in a pan (use half cooking oil and half sesame seed oil for better taste)
     • Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, crushed fennel seeds, half the curry leaves to the oil and let it splutter
     • Add the finely chopped pearl onions and try till they start to turn light brown
     • Add the crushed garlic and rest of the curry leaves and pour into the gravy
7. Once garnished boil the gravy for 2 minutes and then turn off the stove

Note: This dish goes well with rice, idly, dosa, Puri, chappathi, biriyani

Ingredients:

• Big onion 1 (75g) cut into small pieces
• tomato 1 (75g) cut into small pieces
• garlic gloves 30
• fenugreek 1 tsp
• mustard 1 tsp
• sombu (aniseed) 1 tsp
• whole small onions 10 cleaned
• chili powder 2 tsp
• coriander powder 3 tsp
• turmeric powder 1 pinch
• jeera (cumin seeds) powder half tsp
• tamarind paste 1 tsp
• coconut milk 1 cup
• cinnamon 1”
• cloves 2
• salt
• oil

Procedure:

1.  Heat oil in a pan. Add cinnamon, cloves, sombu, fenugreek, mustard. When they splutter add onion pieces and mix well.
2. Add whole small onions and garlic gloves. Fry till they turn light brown. Add tomato pieces, turmeric powder, salt and cook for 5m.
3. Add chili powder, jeera powder, coriander powder and mix well. When oil separates, add tamarind paste, adequate water and cook for 5m.
4. Add coconut milk and when the sauce starts to boil again, remove from heat, add finely chopped coriander leaves.

Ingredients:

• Crab 500 grams (1 lbs)
• Coconut 3 tbsp; paste
• Fennel seeds 1 tsp; ground into powder
• Onion 4 cups; thinly sliced
• Tomatoes 2 cups; thinly sliced
• Ginger 1 inch
• Garlic 4 cloves
• Chili powder 3 tsp
• Coriander powder 3 tsp
• Turmeric powder 2 pinches
• Curry leaves
• Cilantro

Procedure:

1. Clean the crab well and mix a little lemon juice or 1 tsp yogurt and keep aside for 5 minutes and then wash under water
2. Put ½ cup oil and fry fennel powder till light brown and add half of the curry leaves, ginger garlic paste, and stir a bit
3. Add onions and fry till light brown
4. Add tomatoes and keep frying till the onions and tomatoes start to break down
5. Add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and stir
6. Add the coconut paste, crab, and 2 cups water and cook covered in slow fire
7. Once the gravy thickens then turn off stove and add the rest of the curry leaves and garnish with cilantro

Ingredients:

• Shrimp 500 grams (1 lbs)
• Coconut 3 tbsp; paste
• Fennel seeds 1 tsp; ground into powder
• Onion 4 cups; thinly sliced
• Tomatoes 2 cups; thinly sliced
• Ginger 1 inch
• Garlic 4 cloves
• Chili powder 3 tsp
• Coriander powder 3 tsp
• Turmeric powder 2 pinches
• Curry leaves
• Cilantro

Procedure:

1. Clean the shrimp well and mix a little lemon juice or 1 tsp yogurt and keep aside for 5 minutes and then wash under water
2. Put ½ cup oil and fry fennel powder till light brown and add half of the curry leaves, ginger garlic paste, and stir a bit
3. Add onions and fry till light brown
4. Add tomatoes and keep frying till the onions and tomatoes start to break down
5. Add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and stir
6. Add the coconut paste and 2 cups water and cook covered in slow fire
7. Add the shrimp 2 minutes before the end
8. Once the gravy thickens then turn off stove and add the rest of the curry leaves and garnish with cilantro

Note: Do not cook shrimp for more then 3 minutes otherwise it will get hard

Ingredients:

• Mutton 500 grams (1 lbs)
• Onions 4 cups; fine, small pieces
• Tomatoes 2 cups; finely chopped
• Ginger 1 inch piece
• Garlic 6 cloves ground into fine paste
• Fennel 1 tsp crushed
• Chili powder 2 tsp
• Coriander powder 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder 2 pinches
• Garam masala 1 tsp
• Curry leaves
• Cilantro

Procedure:

1. Prep:
   • Add 1 pinch turmeric powder and 1 spoon ginger & garlic paste, water to the mutton and pressure cook
2. Add ½ cup oil to pan and add the crushed fennel and fry lightly
3. Add curry leaves and immediately add ginger & garlic paste and stir for a few seconds
4. Add onions and fry till lightly browned
5. Add tomatoes and try till it’s brown
6. Add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and stir for a minute
7. Add salt and 4 cups water and cook covered in slow fire
8. Add the mutton when the gravy starts to thicken
9. When the gravy thickens turn off the stove and garnish with cilantro

Ingredients:

• Chicken 500 grams (1 lbs)
• Onions 4 cups; fine, small pieces
• Tomatoes 2 cups; finely chopped
• Ginger 1 inch piece
• Garlic 6 cloves ground into fine paste
• Fennel 1 tsp crushed
• Chili powder 2 tsp
• Coriander powder 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder 2 pinches
• Garam masala 1 tsp
• Curry leaves
• Cilantro

Procedure:

1. Add ½ cup oil to pan and add the crushed fennel and fry lightly
2. Add curry leaves and immediately add ginger & garlic paste and stir for a few seconds
3. Add onions and fry till lightly browned
4. Add tomatoes and try till it’s brown
5. Add the chicken and a little bit of salt and fry for a few minutes
6. Add chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and stir for a minute
7. Add salt and 4 cups water and cook covered in slow fire
8. When the gravy thickens turn off the stove and garnish with cilantro