Prawns Masala

(Eral Thokku, Shrimp Curry)

Ingredients Prawns (or Shrimp) - 1 lb (about 1/2 kg) Onion - 2 (chopped) Ginger - 1" piece (minced) Garlic - 5 cloves (minced) Tomato - 1 big (or 2 small chopped) Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp Red Chilly Powder - 1 or 2 tsp (adjust according to your taste) Corriander Powder - 2 tsp Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp (optional) Lemon Juice - few drops Oil - 1 tblsp Salt - to taste Corriander Leaves (Cilantro) and Lemon wedge - for garnish Method 1. Clean the shrimp (or prawns) and devein them. Add little salt, pepper powder and lemon juice. Let this rest and marinate till you prepare the other stuff. 2. Take a frying pan and add oil to it. Splutter the mustard seeds and curry leaves. 3. Add the onions and saute till it turns golden brown. Add the finely chopped ginger and garlic. 4. Add the chopped (or pureed) tomato. Cook till the tomatoes are cooked. 5. Mix the dry spice powder - turmeric powder, red chilly powder, corriander powder and garam masala. 6. Let it cook till oil seperates from the masala. 7. Add the prawns and mix for 2 minutes so that all the prawns will coated with the masala. 8. Add very little water and required salt. You can made a dry prawns (or shrimp) masala by cooking on low heat without adding any water. Adjust the water as per your requirement. 9. Cover and let it cook for about 10 minutes till all the prawns curls up into a 'c' or 'O' shape. This is an indication that it is done. 10. Garnish with cilantro and a lemon wedge and switch off. Serving Suggestion - You can serve this with fried rice, biriyani, naan, chappatti, idli, noodles or semiya biriyani

Samosa
Ingredients Tortilla/Spring roll sheets - 4 Potato - 2 (boiled and cubed) Carrot - 1 (boiled and chopped) Green peas - 1 cup Cilantro - handful (chopped) Green chilly - 2 Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp Corriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - a pinch Cashews - 6-7 Lime - 1/2 Salt - to taste Method 1. Heat oil in a pan, fry the cumin seeds, ginger garlic paste, green chillies and cashew nuts. 2. Add the boiled potato pieces, boiled carrot pieces and green peas along with salt, chilly powder, corriander powder, turmeric powder and cilantro. 3. Cook for 2 minutes for the flavours to blend together. Add few drops of lemon at the end. The filling is ready. 4. For the outer covering, cut a torilla in half. 5. Make a cone shape as shown in the picture. Stuff the filling inside. 6. Seal the edges using egg or with few drops of water. 7. Deep fry in oil till it becomes golden brown. 8. Drain excess oil using paper towel and serve hot with some ketchup or mint chutney. Tips - This is just one example of filling. Any filling can be made with any vegetables on hand. Even left over sidedishes can be used as filling. You can also make non veg samosas with kheema masala. - Instead of tortillas, the outer covering can be made at home. Use maida and make like chappattis, cut into half and fill it. - Other alternatives to tortilla are frozen uncooked chappattis or spring roll sheets. The picture above shows samosas made with spring roll sheets.

Dahi Balle
(Curd Vada, Dahi Vada, Thayir Vadai, Dahi Bhalla) Ingredients Urad Dal - 2 cups Green Chilli - 3 or 4 nos Roasted Jerra Powder - 1/2 tsp salt - to taste Sugar - 1/2 tsp(optional) Oil for frying the Vada Yogurt(curd) - 2 Cups Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp Water - for soaking vadas Method 1.Soak Urad dal in water for an hour. 2.Grid The urad with the green chillies and salt, without adding water. 3.In a kadai add oil let it heat upto 350 degrees.(Drop a small piece of batter to see if the oil is warm enough). 3. Make patties of urad dal and add it to oil and fry it. 4.When the vadas turn golden brown scoop it out from the oil and drop it in a bowl of salt water ,let it soak for few minutes,meanwhile make one more batch of vada. 5.Let the vada soak in water until the second batch is done and repeat the same for the second batch. 6.Beat the yogurt in a bowl with little salt and sugar(optional), jeera powder . 7.Squeeze the vada(s)from the water and put it in the yogurt mixture,let it soak for a while sprinkle it with little chilli powder.

Tip - Need to drop the vada in water as soon you take it out from oil.

Khaman Dhokla (Instant Dhokla)

Dhokla is a traditional Gujarathi dish made with chikpea flour(besan) in which the besan is traditionally mixed with sour curd and allowed to ferment. It is then spiced with green chillies and steamed and cut into small pieces. This recipe is an instant version of dhokla in which we use citric acid and baking soda which makes the dhoklas light and spongey. The same recipe can be used to make rawa dhokla(sooji dhokla) made with semolina. It is usually served with green chutney and had as a snack or a complete meal. Ingredients Batch I Gram flour(Besan) - 1 1/2 cup Sugar - 3-4 tsp Oil - 1 tblsp Citric acid - 1/2 tsp soda-bi-carb( Baking Soda) - 1/2 tsp Salt - to taste Lemon juice - 3-4 drops Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp Batch II Oil - 1 tblsp Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp Sesame seeds - 1/4 tsp Asaefoetida - a pinch Curry leaves - 5-6 Water - 1/2 cup Sugar - 1 tsp Cilantro - for garnish Grated coconut - for garnish Sev - for garnish Method 1. Mix all the ingredients from batch I in a bowl with water enough to make a thick paste(like idli batter). 2. Blend it well with a hand blender or with hand. 3. Steam it for 15 minutes on high flame. 4. Cut it into square pieces. 5. Tempering: Heat 1 tbsp oil. Add jeera(cumin), rai(mustard seeds), til(sesame seeds), hing(asaefoetida) and karipatta(curry leaves). When it splutters add 1/2 cup water and 1 tsp sugar. 6. Pour this water slowly on dhokla pieces. 7. Garnish this with fresh coriander, shredded fresh coconut and sev. Serve with green chutney

Sabudhana Vada
(Sago Cutlet, Javarisi Vadai, Chowwary Vada) Ingredients Sago (sabudana/Javarisi) - 1 cup Potato - 2 (boiled and peeled) Onion - 1/4 (grated) Green Chillies - 2 or 3 (minced) Ginger - a small piece (grated) Salt - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Peanuts (optional) - 1/4 cup (coarsely powdered) Curry leaves - 2 strands Cilantro - 2 strands Mint leaves - 4 (Optional) Asaefoetida - a pinch (optional) Oil - to deep fry Method 1. Soak the sago in water for at least three hours or overnight. Drain the water after soaking. 2. Peel the boiled potatoes, mash it well and add it to the drained sago. 3. Add the grated ginger, grated onion, green chillies, peanut powder, cumin seeds, asaefoetida and salt to the above mixture. 4. Finely chop the curry leaves, mint leaves and cilantro and add to the above mixture. 5. Mix everything together. Make small balls out of the mixture, press it with your palms to get the vada shape and keep aside. 6. Heat oil in a deep kadai. When the oil is hot enough deep fry the vadas. 7. Drain the excess oil in paper towel and serve hot with some chutney.

Curd Idli

(Thayir Idli, Dahi Idli) Ingredients Mini Idlis - 25 Curd - 4-5 cup Milk/ Water - 1 cup Cilantro - for garnish Carrot(grated)- for garnish Sugar - a pinch Salt - to taste For grinding Cashew - 1 tblsp Coconut (fresh grated) - 2 tblsp Green chillies - 2 For seasoning Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp Curry leaves - 5-6 Urad dal - 1/2 tsp Dry red chillies - 3-4 Asaefoetida - a pinch Oil - 1 tblsp Method 1. Make mini idlis in the usual procedure and keep aside. If you do not have mini idli plate, make regular idlis and cut it into four. 2. Beat the curd with water/ milk. Add the required salt and sugar to it. 3. Heat oil in a small pan, splatter the mustard seeds, urad dal, dry red chillies and curry leaves. 4. Add this to the beaten curd with a pinch of asaefoetida. 5. Grind the cashews, green chillies and grated coconut together and add it to the curd as well. 6. Finally add the idlis half an hour before serving to prevent it from becoming soggy. 7. Garnish with grated carrot and chopped cilantro. 8. Refrigerate and serve it chillied. It is the most refreshing snack for a summer day.

Tip - You can even fry the idlis before adding to the curd to prevent it from getting too soggy quickly. In that case, do not overfry so that the idli changes its colour but try to retain the cream colour.

Red Chori Vadai

(Red Beans Patties, Azuki Beans Cutlets, Perum Payaru Vada) Ingredients Red Chori (Perum Payaru/ Azuki Beans) - 2 cups Onion - 1 (chopped) Cumin seeds - 1.5 tsp Ginger - 1/2 " piece Green Chillies - 8 (or as needed) Curry Leaves - 2 strands (leaves chopped) Salt - as needed Asafoetida - a pinch Oil - for deep frying Method 1. Soak the red beans (red chori) for minimum 45 minutes and drain it. 2. Grind the soaked beans with green chillies, ginger piece and cumin seeds. 3.Do not add water while grinding. The water absorbed by the beans should be sufficient for grinding. The final batter should be coarse in texture. 4. Remove the batter in a mixing bowl and mix in the chopped onions, chopped curry leaves, asafoetida and required salt. 5. In the meantime, heat the oil in a kadai for deep frying. 6. Take a small portion of the vada mixture, make a ball and press between your palms to form a small patty. 7. Deep fry in oil for about a minute on each side till it turns brown and crispy. 8. Remove the vadai and drain the excess oil using a paper towel. Serve hot with some chutney or sauce. Tip - If you want to make the vadas ahead of time, just place them in a 200 degree F oven till the vadas are ready to be served. This way the vadas will remain crisp.

Black Bean Patties

Ingredients Black Beans - 1/2 lb Oats - 1 cup Bread Crumbs - 1/2 cup Onion - 1/4 (grated or finely chopped) Beetroot/ Carrot - 1/2 cup (grated) Garlic - 2 cloves (minced) Cilantro - handful (finely chopped) Salsa - 2 tsp Cumin Powder - 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes - 1/2 tsp (Optional) Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Salt - as needed Method

1. Soak the black beans overnight and pressure cook it for 2 whistles. You could also use canned beans instead. 2. Add the oats, breadcrumbs in a food processor and pulse it few times. 3. Next add the onion, garlic, beetroot, cilantro and the cooked beans and pulse it for few times. Be careful not to mush up the beans. 4. Add the seasonings - salt, red pepper flakes, pepper powder and cumin powder and pulse again till it all comes together. 5. Remove the entire mixture onto a mixing bowl and mix in the salsa with it. 6. Taste the mixture and add in additional seasonings if needed. 7. Make small patties of desired size and shallow fry it on a griddle. 8. Serve as an appetizer with tomato sauce or use it to make black bean burgers or roll it inside flat breads to make wraps.

Vegetable Cutlets
(Vegetable Patties, Vegetable Burgers, Veg. Koftas, Veg. Croquettes, Vegetable Balls) Ingredients Potatoes 2 medium (boiled and mashed) Mixed Vegetables 1.5 cups (like green peas, carrots, green beans, corn, etc) Paneer 3-4oz Onions 1/4 medium (finely chopped or grated) Ginger & Garlic - 1 tblsp (minced) Green Chillies 2 (finely chopped) Cilantro (Coriander leaves) 2 tblsp (finely chopped) Chopped Cashews - 2 tblsp Lemon Juice 2 tsp Red Chilli Powder 1/2 tsp or to taste Roasted Cumin Powder 1/2 tsp Salt to taste Maida - 2 tblsp (for coating the cutlets) Bread Crumbs about 1 cup (for coating the cutlets) Oil for frying Preparation Steps 1. Boil the potatoes and drain them immediately to prevent them from absorbing lot of water. Peel and mash it and keep aside. 2. Finely chop or grate the other vegetables. You can also chop in a food processor. 3. Boil the other vegetables too. You can do it in the microwave or stove top. Squeeze out as much water as possible from the vegetables. This is very essential in making good cutlets. 4. Heat oil in a pan and saute the onions and ginger garlic paste for few minutes. This step is optional and removes the raw flavour in the onions and garlic. 5. Make a very thin batter with the maida and water. Keep it ready to dip the cutlets. 6. Spread the breadcrumbs also in a plate to coat the cutlets before frying. Method 1. Take the boiled potatoes and vegetables in a mixing bowl. 2. Add the sauteed onion, ginger garlic mixture, green chillies, lemon juice, chopped cashews, salt, cilantro, cumin powder, turmeric powder and chilly powder. 3. Mix everything together. Taste the mixture and adjust any seasonings as per your taste. 4. Shape into round patties. You can also make the cutlets in triangular or oval shapes. 5. Dip each cutlets quickly in the maida batter and then roll it in the bread crumbs. The cutlets should be coated with the bread crumbs on all sides.

6. In the meantime heat oil in a pan for deep frying. 7. Gently drop each cutlet into the oil and fry until it is golden brown on all sides. Alternatively, you can pan fry the cutlets on a tawa. Serving Suggestions - You can serve the cutlets as a snack with ketchup, chilli sauce or green chutney. - You can also make a bigger cutlet and place it in between buns along with lettuce and chopped tomatoes to make a vegetable burger. - Make round shaped koftas with the mixture and use it to make gravies like malai kofta.

Bajji
(Pakoras, Bajjia, Pakodas, Vegetable Fritters) Bajji or Pakoras or Pakodas are a famous snack all over India. It can be found in five star hotels, small shops, road side stalls and seashores shops. It is a versatile recipe that can be made with any vegetable available on hand. The vegetable is thinly sliced, dipped in gram flour batter and then deep fried. Some of the popular bajjis/pakoras are vazhakkai bajji, made with raw banana, vengaya baji (Pyaz Pakora), made with onion circles, cauliflower bajji/pakora, urilai kilangu bajji (aloo pakora), made with potato slices, bread bajji/pakoda, palak pakoda, made with spinach leaves, kathrikai bajji (bainghan pakora), made with brinjal slices, paneer pakora/bajji and milagai bajji (mirchi pakora), made with banana peppers. Other vegetables can also be used to make bajji/pakoras like zucchini bajji/pakora, brocooli bajji/pakoras, mushroom bajji/pakoras , paneer pakoras, tofu bajji/pakoras, soya chunks pakodas etc. Non veg lovers can make shrimp bajji/pakoras or chicken bajji/pakoras (with chicken strips). When hard boiled eggs are used to make the bajjis, it is called mutta bonda (Egg Bonda).Whatever you use, the recipe is the same. You can make this as an appetizer or as an evening snack with tea. Ingredients Besan (Gram Flour/ Chickpea Flour) as needed (start with 1/2 cup) Assorted Vegetables depending on availablity (Raw Banana, Potatoes, Bread Slices, Banana Peppers, Cauliflower, Onion etc) Red Chili Powder 1 tsp or to taste Roasted Cumin Powder 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp Baking Soda 1/4 tsp Water as needed to make batter Salt to taste Oil for deep frying Assorted Bajjis Method 1. Cut the vegetables into small pieces. Generally raw banana, potato, brinjal and onion are made into thin slices, cauliflower is cut into bite sized florets, bread is cut diagonally to form a triangle. 2. Mix all the dry ingredients (besan, corn flour, red chilli powder, baking soda, cumin powder, turmeric powder and salt) in a bowl. 2. Add water little by little while mixing it constantly to make a smooth batter. 3. In the mean time heat oil for deep frying. 4. Dip the vegetables/bread/shrimp/chicken one at a time in the batter so that it is completely coated with the batter and drop in hot oil. 5. Do not overcrowd the oil. There should be enough space for the bajjis to float in the oil without getting stuck to each other. Deep fry till it becomes golden brown. 6. Drain excess oil in paper towels and serve hot with some chutney, hot sauce or ketchup.

Tips - Add 2 tblsp of rice flour/corn flour to the bajji batter and make bajjis/pakoras. This way the bajjis/pakoras will stay crispier for a longer time. This will be very useful when making for guests or for parties. - The temperature of the oil should be medium hot. If the temperature is too hot, the outside will get browned too fast without the vegetable getting cooked. If the temperature is too low, the bajji will become very oily.

Unniappam
Ingredients Rice flour - 1 cup Wheat flour - 2 tblsp Ripened Banana - 2 or 3 Brown sugar - 1/2 cup cardomom powder - 3/4 tsp Baking Powder - 1/4 tsp Toasted sesame seeds- 2 tsp

Method 1. Blend the banana nicely using a blender or mixie. 2. Add rice flour , brown sugar, baking powder, cardomom and blend it together. Add the sesame seeds to batter. 3. The consistency of the batter should be little thicker than the idli batter. 4. Heat the paniyaram griddle(puffed pancake griddle-made of cast Iron). 5. Add few drops of oil to each hole and pour the batter. 6. When the edges turns golden brown flip it,so that the other side will cook. 7. Allow it to cook on medium heat for another couple of minutes. If the heat is too high, the outside will get browned up too fast before the inside is cooked. 8. When the unniappam is done, it is like a ball and comes out easily from the griddle. Yummy unniappam

Shrimp Pakoras
(Eral Bajji, Shrimp Fritters) Ingredients

Shrimp - 1 lb (cleaned & deveined) Besan (Gram Flour) - 1/2 cup Corn Flour/ Rice Flour - 2 tblsp Baking Soda - a pinch Salt - to taste Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp Oil - for frying Water - as needed to make batter Method 1. Mix all the dry ingredients (besan, corn flour, black pepper powder, a pinch of cumin powder, baking soda, turmeric powder and salt) in a mixing bowl. 2. Add water little by little while mixing it constantly to make a smooth batter. 3. In the mean time heat oil for deep frying. 4. Dip each shrimp in the batter so that the shrimp is completely coated with the batter. 5. Drop it in the hot oil and deep fry till it becomes golden brown. 6. Drain excess oil in paper towels. Serve hot with some hot sauce or ketchup. Tips - Use all purpose flour (maida) instead of besan and make the fritters for a whole new flavour.

Fish Cutlets
(Fish Chops, Fish Croquettes, Fish Patties, Fish Cakes) Ingredients Fish fillets - 3-4 Onion - 1/2 (grated) Garlic - 3 cloves (grated) Ginger - 1"slice (grated) Egg - 2 Garam masala - 1 tsp Chilly powder - 1 tsp Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp Bread Crumbs - 1/2 cup Cilantro - hanful (finely chopped) Oil - for frying Method 1. Take water in a pan and bring it to a boil. Add the fish fillets to the water and let it cook nicely (till the fish turns opaque). 2. Remove the fish from the water and shred it into small pieces. 3. Heat oil in a small skillet and saute the onions, ginger and garlic in it till the raw smell vanishes. 4. Add the shredded fish to it along with garam masala, salt, chilly powder , cumin powder and cilantro. 5. Keep stirring the mixture until it becomes very dry. This is essential for the cutlets to bind together very well. 6. Once the above mixture is cool enough to handle, add one raw egg to it. Mix everything nicely with hands. (The egg is mainly used for binding. You can also use a handful of cooked rice or a boiled and mashed potato instead.) 7. Beat another egg in a bowl. 8. Make small round balls out of the cutlet mixture and shape it into patties. You can make any shape round, oval, heart shape, cylindrical etc.

9. Dip the patties in the beaten egg then coat it with bread crumbs. Now you can deep fry, shallow fry or bake these cutlets. 10. Serve hot with ketchup or hot sauce. Tips - You can add any vegetables of your choice to the cutlet mixture to enrich its nutritional value.

Medhu Vadai

Ingredients Split Black Gram (Urad dal) - 1 cup Onion - 1/2 (chopped) Ginger - 1" piece (grated) Green Chilies / Dry red chillies - 3-4 (finely chopped) Crushed Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp Asafoetida - a pinch Curry leaves - 1-2 strands (leaves finely chopped) Oil - for deep frying Salt - to taste Water - very little for grinding (app. 1/2 cup) Optional Ingredients Cilantro - handful chopped Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp Any Vegetables - 1/2 cup Coconut pieces Method 1. Soak the urad dal overnight or a minimum of 1/2 an hour. 2. Drain the water and grind the dal in grinder/blender/mixie using as little water as possible. 3. Take this urad dal batter in a bowl and add required salt, grated ginger, green/red Chilies, crushed pepper, asafoetida, chopped curry leaves and onion. 4. You could add in the optional ingredients too. Mix the batter nicely. 5. In the meantime, heat the oil for frying the vadas. 6. To shape the vadas, wet your hand, take a small portion of batter on the palm your hand. 7. Using the finger of your other hand or the thumb of the same hand, make a small hole in the center of the batter. 8. Gently slide the batter into the hot oil. The hole helps in even cooking of the vadas inside and out. The vadas should be fried in medium heat. 9. Once the vadas get golden brown on one side, flip it and cook the other side. 10. Once the vada fully turns golden brown, remove it and let it rest on paper towels to remove excess oil. 11. Serve hot with coconut chutney or sambar all by itself or with any south indian breakfast items like idli, pongal etc. Variations - You could sneak in any veggies to get different vadas like cabbage vadai, spinach (keera) vadai, carrot vadai, broccoli vadai etc. - With the left over vadas you can make other delicasies like curd vada, sambhar vada, rasam vada etc.

Masala Vada
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(Paruppu Vadai, Parippu Vada, Channa dal vada)

Ingredients

Bengal Gram (Channa Dal/ Kadala Paruppu) - 2 cups Onion - 1 big (chopped) Garlic - 2-3 cloves Ginger - a small piece Dry Red Chillies - 3-4 Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp Curry Leaves - 2 springs Asafoetida - 1/8 tsp Salt - to taste Oil - for deep frying Method 1. Wash and soak the bengal gram in water for atleast half an hour. It is better if you are able to soak for an hour or 2. 2. Drain the water completely. Take the soaked dal, garlic, ginger, dry red chillies, curry leaves, salt and fennel seeds in a blender/ mixie. 3. Pulse it a few times till the mixture is partially ground. We need some texture in the batter. Do not add any water. The dal must have absorbed enough water for grinding. 4. Heat oil for deep frying in a frying pan/ kadai. 5. Mix the chopped onions with the vada batter. 6. Take a small ball of the batter and flatten it between your palm. 7. Drop the flattened vada into the hot oil and fry till it becomes golden brown. Serving Suggestions - Serve these vadas with a hot cup of evening.
ginger cardamom tea

for a satisfying snack on a cold or rainy

- You can also serve it as a sidedish with rice and some curry, pongal, idli etc. Tips - If you prefer crispier vadas, make small sized vadas and fry for a little longer. - Some people add 1 or 2 spoons of green peas along with channa dal while soaking. - You can also add some veggies to the vada batter. Some of the common veggie vadais are spinach vada, corn vada, cabbage vada, beetroot vada, carrot vada and mixed vegetable vadai. - Leftover vadais can be used to make Vada Curry.

Corn Stuffed Pockets

A mouth watering delicious recipe for kids and adults to enjoy in the drizzling rain with a hot cup of tea. Ingredients: 1 cup Crushed corn kernels 8 slices of Sandwich bread 1/2 cup Milk Salt, sugar and black pepper powder as per your taste and requirement 2 Green chillies 1 tsp crushed Garlic and ginger 1 tsp grated Coconut (optional) 1 tbsp Coriander leaves

Oil for frying Method: 1. Mix the crushed corn kernels with grated coconut, coriander, crushed garlic and ginger, finely chopped green chillies, adjust the seasoning, keep aside. 2. Take 2 slices of bread and cut into 4 equal squares. 3. Dip the bread squares in the bowl of milk and gently squeeze out the milk pressing the bread slice between your palms. 4. Stuff the corn filling on one side and over the other side with another slice of soaked bread and press it tightly sealing all the four sides. Keep aside. 5. Prepare the remaining slices and deep fry them on medium heat until they turn golden colour. 6. Take it out on a tissue paper to remove the excess oil. 7. Serve hot with mint chutney or tamarind chutney or a regular tomato sauce. Prepartion time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 12-15 minutes Serves : 4-5 people Shelf life: fresh and hot

12 - Spice Fish Curry

Sardines curry, Salmon curry)

Ingredients-1 Fish fillets/pieces - 1 lb Tamarind juice - made from 2-3 tamarind (lemon sized tamarind ball or 1 tblsp of tamarind pulp) Tomato - 1 (optional) Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Curry leaves - 1 strand Oil (preferably coconut oil/sesame oil) - 3-4 tblsp Green Chillies/banana peppers - (2 for garnish) Cilantro - for garnish Other veggies that can be added - Brinjal pieces, drumstick, banana peppers or raw mangoes Salt (preferably sea salt) - to taste

Ingredients-2 (12 spice) Dry/Fresh Coconut - 3 -4 tblsp Corriander seeds - 2.5 tblsp Shallot/ Pearl Onions (sambhar onions) - 5-6 Garlic - 5-6 cloves Ginger - 1/4 " piece Dry Red Chillies - 7 (or as needed) Pepper - 5-7 seeds Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Curry leaves - 2 strands Carom seeds - 1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds - 5-8 seeds

Sardines Fish Curry Method

1. Heat oil in a small pan and roast the grated coconut with the onions, garlic, ginger and dry red chillies till the coconut turns nice and brown. Set aside to cool. 2. Similarly roast the corriander seeds, black peppercons, curry leaves, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and carom seeds too. ( Roasting each ingredient seperately is better but if you do not have time, you can roast everything together.) 3. Once everything cools grind everything together (all the spices under ingredients -2) to a fine paste and keep aside. 4. Heat little oil in a clay pot/deep pan. If you are adding any veggies, saute the veggies and tomato pieces till it is partly mashed up. 5. Add the ground spice masala, asafoetida and tamarind juice. Add required water and bring it to a boil. 6. Check for salt and add the fish pieces. Cover and cook it for 5-10 minutes. 7. Reduce the flame to the lowest and let the gravy simmer for another 15-20 minutes till the oil seperates from the gravy. 8. Heat little coconut/sesame oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add this to the gravy. 9. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro and split green chillies. The final curry should have equal amout of spiciness from the masala, tanginess from the tamarind and salt. 10. Let the gravy rest for 2 hours before serving for the spices to enter the fish pieces nicely. Serve with hot plain white rice.

Pepper Chicken Chettinad

(Kozhi Milagu Varuval, Milagu Kozhi Varuval) Ingredients Cut chicken - 2 lbs Whole Garam Masala - (Cloves, Cardomom - 2 pieces each, Cinnamon, Bay Leaf - 1 piece each) Mustard,Cumin Seeds - little for tempering Curry leaves -2 strands Onion -2 Chopped Green chillies - 2 Chopped Chilli powder - 1 tsp Crushed peppercorns - 1 tblsp (preferably freshly crushed) Tomatoes -2 Diced Coriander powde -2 tsp Cumin powder -1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste -1tblsp Salt - 2 tsp Coriander leaves - to garnish Method 1.Heat oil in a deep vessel. 2.Add the tempering mustard,cumin. 3.After it splutters add whole garam masala. 4.Add chopped onions and saute until golden brown. 5.Add salt, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste,green chillies andcurry leaves. 6.Saute everything for 5 mins. 7.Add tomatoes and saute it until it becomes a gravy. 8.Add chilli powder,coriander powder,cumin powder. 9.Saute everything for 10 mins in medium heat. 10.When oil comes out its the correct consistency 11.Now add chicken, little water and cover and cook. 12.After its cooked add the crushed pepper powder and check for seasoning. 13.To garnish add chopped corriander leaves. You can also add chunks of capsicum.

Egg Masala
(Mutta Fry Masala, Keeri Muttai, Anda Masala) Ingredients Eggs - 6 (hard boiled) Onion - 1 1/2 medium sized (thinly sliced) Dry red chillies - 5 Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Urad dal - 1 tsp Curry Leaves - 1 strand Salt - as needed Cilantro - for garnish (finely chopped) Oil - 1 tblsp Method 1. For boiling the eggs, bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the eggs, cover and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the water and run the eggs under cold water immediately. Peel off the eggs shells. 2. Dry roast the cumin seeds, urad dal, dry red chillies and curry leaves for few minutes. 3. After it cooled, grind it to a coarse powder. 4. Cut the hard boiled eggs into half lengthwise and add the ground powder to the eggs. Mix it gently so that all the eggs get coated with the powder nicely. 5. Heat oil in a pan and saute the onions nicely. The onions have to be golden brown. This might take about 15-20 minutes. 6. Add the egg halves along with the coated powder and any leftover powder to the pan. 7. Reduce the heat, gently toss everything, cover and let it cook for about 5 minutes. 8. Finally add the finely chopped cilantro, mix once again gently and switch off. 9. This egg masala goes very well with chappattis, pulav and white rice.

Capsicum Rice
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(Bell Pepper Rice, Kudamilagai Sadam) This is a very colourful and flavourful dish that can be made for lunchbox and even for a huge crowd. Ingredients Rice - 2 cups Capsicum (Bell Pepper) - 2 (chopped/sliced) - (I used 1/2 of each coloured bell pepper - green, orange, yellow and red) Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Cashew Nuts (or Peanuts) - 1 tblsp Oil/Ghee - 1 tblsp Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp Cilantro - handful (finely chopped) To Powder Corriander Seeds - 1 tblsp Urad Dal - 1 tblsp Dry Red Chillies - 4 (or as needed) Curry Leaves - 1 spring Grated Coconut - 1.5 tblsp (You can also use 1 tblsp of Sesame Seeds instead) Method 1. Cook the rice seperately. Spread it in a tray and let it cool.

2. Dry roast all the ingredients under 'To Powder'. Cool it and make a powder. 3. Heat ghee in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cashew nuts (or peanuts) and curry leaves. 4. Add the chopped capsicum pieces and saute till it becomes little soft. 5. Add the spice powder, turmeric powder and required salt. Fry for a minute. 6. Add the cooked rice and fry everything together till each rice grain is nicely coated with the spice powder. 7. Check and adjust the salt and other seasonings. Switch off. 8. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro and sliced colourful bell peppers. Serving Suggestion - This rice has so much flavour by itself, it can be served with some raita and potato chips. - It also goes very well with any non veg and veg sidedishes.

Mutton Curry
(Aatu Kari Kulambu, Goat Curry, Lamb Curry)

Ingredients Mutton - 1 lb (cut into small cubes) Potato - 1 big (cut into cubes - optional) Onion - 1 medium (sliced) Tomatoes - 2 (chopped) Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice - 1 tblsp Bay Leaf - 1 Oil - 3-4 tblsp Salt - to taste Cilantro (Corriander Leaves) - for garnish Curry Leaves - 1 spring To grind Whole Garam Masala - 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cloves, 2 cardamom, 1 star anise, kalpasi - 2 Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp Black Peppercons - 1 tsp Corriander Seeds - 3 tblsp Dry Red Chillies - 4-5 Grated Coconut - 4-5 tblsp Poppy Seeds - 2 tsp Ginger - 1.5" piece Garlic - 5 cloves Green Chillies - 3 Curry Leaves - 1 spring Shallots (Sambhar Onions) - 10

Method 1. Wash the mutton and marinate it with salt, turmeric powder and lemon juice. 2. Heat 1 tblsp of oil in a pan and add the ingredients under 'to grind' one by one. Fry for few minutes. 3. Let it cool. Grind it to a smooth paste. Note : - You may skip step 2 and add everything without frying too. Frying mellows down the flavours

of the spices. 4. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and fry the sliced onions. 5. Next add the tomatoes, bay leaf, turmeric powder and the ground masala paste. 6. Add the mutton pieces and potato cubes. Fry everything for few minutes. 7. Add water and salt as needed. 8. Cover the pressure cooker and cook for 6-7 whistles. Note :- Each pressure cooker is different. Tender mutton cooks faster. Cook till you are satisfied with the tenderness of the mutton pieces. 9. After the pressure is gone, open the cooker. Garnish with fresh curry leaves and cilantro. Serving Suggestion - You can serve this with white rice, parotta, dosa, idli, chappatti, naan, white bread, idiyappam, aapam, pathiri etc. The possibilities are endless.

Chettinad Mushroom Masala

Ingredients Mushroom - 2 cups (chopped) Tamarind juice - 1 tblsp/Tomato - 1 Turmeric powder - a pinch Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Curry leaves - 1 strand Oil - 2 tblsp Cilantro - for garnish Spice Mixture Peppercons - 1 tsp Dry red chillies - 2 Corriander seeds - 1 tblsp Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp Shallot onions - 2-3 Garlic cloves - 2

Method 1. Roast all the ingredients under 'spice mixture' seperately till a nice aroma is released. If you do not have time roast everything together. 2. Once it cools, grind it to a coarse powder and keep aside. 3. Clean the mushroom using a paper towel and chop it lengthwise. 4. Heat oil in a pan, splutter the mustard seeds and curry leaves. 5. Add the chopped mushrooms to this and saute for 5 minutes till the mushrooms get a nice colour. Do not add water. The water from the mushroom is sufficient. 6. Add the tomatoes/tamarind juice with required salt and turmeric powder. Cover and let it cook for a few minutes. 7. Add the spice mixture and mix everything for a minute. 8. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve as a sidedish for rice or roti or use as a stuffing for mushroom puffs or masala dosa. Tips - A tblsp of grated coconut can also be added along with the spice mixture for added flavour.