Pomfret Green Masala Curry

 

A very delicious curry, cooked with coriander leaves, spices and coconut. It’s a change from the usual onion and coconut based red curries.

What you need:

• 1/2 kg pomfret or kingfish (cleaned and cut)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp tamarind paste
• 1 small onion (sliced)
• 2 tsp coconut oil 
• Salt to taste

Grind to a paste: 

• 4 long green chillies 
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 cloves garlic 
• 6 pepper corns
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 
• One bunch coriander leaves 

Method: 

Heat oil in a pan. Add the onions and fry them until they turn slightly brown in colour. Add the ground paste. Fry for 10-12 minutes till it turns dry and aromatic. Add the tamarind paste, water and salt. Stir well and make sure the gravy is thick. When the gravy boils, add the fish, simmer. Cover the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes. Serve hot with rice. 

Sweet and spicy prawn fry

 

What you need:

• 50 medium sized prawns (cleaned and deveined)

• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

• 1 tsp red chilli powder 

• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

• 1 tbsp tomato sauce 

• 2 tbsp oil

• 2 large onions (finely sliced)

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• Few curry leaves

• Salt to taste

Method:

• Clean  the prawns and marinate with ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, lemon juice and salt. Keep aside for half an hour.

• Heat oil in a pan. Fry the sliced onions till they turn slightly brown in colour. Add the marinated prawns. Stir well. Let the prawns cook for a while. 

• Add the curry leaves. Cook the prawns on low heat till the excess water evaporates and they turn dry. Add the tomato ketchup and mix well. Check the salt and turn off the flame.

• Serve hot. 

Cheesy Garlic Bread

 

Garlic bread is a favourite among all ages. This garlic  bread recipe is easy and tastes better than the store bought ones. Garlic bread can be enjoyed as a side with pasta or on its own. 

What you need:

• 50g softened butter
• 4-5 cheese cubes
• 7-8 bread slices (cut lengthwise)
• 10-15 garlic cloves (peeled)
• 2 tbsp cilantro or coriander leaves 
• 2 tsp oregano / seasoning mix
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt to taste 

Method: 

Combine butter, garlic, salt in a hand mixer. Beat it well. You can also use a stone crusher. Crush it and mix until all the ingredients are well combined. Add the coriander leaves.

Cut the bread lengthwise. Apply the garlic spread evenly or each slice. Sprinkle grated cheese and oregano. Fry it till it turned golden brown. 

Palak Soup / Spinach Soup

 

What you need:

• 1 bunch of palak (spinach) leaves (washed)
• 1 onion (small sized - finely chopped)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp corn flour 
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder 
• 2 tbsp butter

Method:

Heat 2 tsp butter in a pan. Add the palak leaves and fry till they fade. Add little water and cook. Now, blend these leaves in the mixer and keep it aside.

Mix cornflour in the milk. Heat remaining butter in the pan. Add the onions and fry till they turn golden brown. Add the palak purée and the milk. Mix well. Let it boil well. Add the salt and pepper powder to taste.

Serve hot. 

Prawn Pulao

 

What you need:

• 3 cups basmati rice
• 100 medium sized prawns (deveined and cleaned)
• 3 big onions (chopped)
• 4 medium tomatoes (chopped)
• 2 tsp lemon juice 
• 2 tbsp ghee/oil
• Salt to taste 

For masala:

• 1/2 tsp turmeric 
• 1 tsp cuscus 
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 6 green chillies 
• 2 red long chillies 
• 1" ginger
• 7 garlic peeled 
• 1/2 bunch coriander leaves 
• 1 tbsp grated coconut 

Method: 

Heat oil in a kadai. Fry the onions till they turn soft. Add the finely chopped tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes turn soft and mushy. Add the ground paste. Fry till the oil separates.

Put in the prawns and cover and cook them for 5 minutes. Add salt and lime juice. Check the salt. Make sure the gravy is thick.

In a big saucepan boil 6 cups of water. Add salt to taste. Add the washed rice and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Close and cook. Reduce the heat when the water boils. Cook for 7-8 minutes and stir in between. Turn off the flame when the rice is well cooked. Keep it covered for a while.

Layering: 

Take a casserole. Palace a layer of cooked rice. Too it with a layer of the prawns gravy. Spread it evenly. Add another layer of rice and gravy over it. Make sure that the top most layer is rice. 

Garnish with fried onions. Cover the casserole and serve it hot with curds or raita. 

Ragi Nutri Mix

•  

What you need: 

• 1/2 kg ragi (finger millet)
• 1/4 kg wheat
• 100g jowar 
• 50g green gram 
• 50g horse gram
• 50g chick peas 
• 10-12 almonds 
• 4 cardamom 

Method:

• Wash all the ingredients separately (except cardamom). Dry them on a clean towel and keep in the hot sun for a day or two to dry completely.
• Heat a kadai and dry roast each ingredient separately, till they slightly change colour and become aromatic. Let it cool to room temperature.
• Place all the ingredients along with cardamom in a dry mixer jar and powder it. Store in an air tight container.

Preparation of porridge:

What you need: (makes 2 cups) 

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 small piece jaggery
• 2 tsp nutri mix powder (prepared above)
• Pinch of salt

Method:

• Pour 1 cup of milk and 3/4 cup water alongwith jaggery on a sauce pan. Let it boil. 
• Meanwhile, mix 2 tsp mutri mix powder to the remaining 1/4 cup of of water and mix thoroughly. Add this 1/4 cup to the boiling milk. 
• Stir continuously so that no lumps are formed. When it boils, keep it on simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the salt. Turn off the flame. 

This porridge can be enjoyed in the morning in place of tea or coffee along with breakfast. 

Dahi Chicken

 

What you need:

• 1/2 kg chicken cut into medium sized pieces 
• 1 tbsp coriander powder 
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• Turmeric powder 
• 3/4 cup curd
• 1 large tomato (chopped)
• 1 tsp red chilli powder 
• 2 medium sized onions (chopped) 
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder 
• 2 tbsp ghee 
• 2" cinnamon 
• 3 cloves
• 1 star anise 
• 2 green chillies (finely chopped)
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method: 

• Wash the chicken. Marinate with curd, coriander powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, and tbsp ginger garlic paste and salt. Keep aside for half an hour.
• Heat ghee in a pan. Add in the cloves, cinnamon and star anise. Fry. Add in the onions and fry till they turn transparent. Add the tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes turn soft. Add the marinated chicken. Stir well. Add in the green chillies and red chilli powder. 
• Cook on high flame with the lid closed. Cook for about 7 to 8 minutes. Keep stirring in between. 
• The onions and the tomatoes will be cooked by now and a thick gravy will be formed. Check the salt. 
• Garnish with coriander leaves. Enjoy! 

Pork Chilly

 

What you need:

• 1 kg pork (cut into bite-sized pieces)

• 4-5 onions (medium, cubed)

• 10 garlic cloves 

• 1" ginger

• 6 green chillies 

• 1 large capsicum (cubed)

For masala:

• 10 red chillies (long)

• 4 cloves

• 2 tbsp vinegar

• 2" cinnamon 

• 1/2 tsp jeera

• 1 tsp coriander seeds 

• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds

• 1 tsp turmeric powder 

Grind the above ingredients to form a fine paste.

• 1 tbsp chilli-tomato sauce 

• 1/2 tbsp soya sauce

• 1 tbsp pepper powder

For marination:

• 2 tbsp Ginger garlic paste 

• 1 tbsp vinegar

• 1/2 tbsp turmeric powder 

• 2 tbsp coconut oil 

• Salt to taste

Method:

Chop the pork, wash and drain. Marinate with ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, vinegar and salt. Marinate for 30 minutes. Boil the pork with one cup of water for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and let it cool. 

Heat just 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan. Add the cooked pork pieces and fry on medium flame for 10-15 minutes till it turns golden brown. If your pan is small, fry in two batches. Keep aside.

In the same pan add the remaining oil, and add in the cubed onions, green chilies, ginger and garlic. Fry till they are slightly cooked. Add the capsicum and mix well. Add the ground paste and stir well for about 3 minutes. Add the fried meat and chilli tomato sauce. Sauté well. Close the lid and let it cook for 2 minutes. Serve hot. 

Veg Dosa

We need

2 cups dosa batter

2 tbspns grated carrot

2 tbspns finely cut cabbage

1 finely cut green chilli

1 inch grated or finely cut ginger

2 tbspn finely cut onion 

little finely cut coriander leaves or tender curry leaves

little jaggery or sugar (optional)

Let's begin

Mix all the items well.  Adjust salt and chilli. Keep aside for 15 minutes or more for the batter to absorb flavors.

Make dosas till the batter gets over. Smear ghee before taking off the tava for more taste.

Serve hot. No need of chutney as these dosas are very tasty.

Note: Increase or reduce the vegetables according to your preference. Jaggery/sugar makes the dosas much tastier. Left over dosa batter works out best.

Prawn/Shrimp Masala

 

This recipe is easy to make, packed with loads of flavours and tastes amazing! 

What you need:

• 100 prawns (medium in size, deveined & cleaned)
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• Salt to taste

To grind:

• 7 long red chillies 
• 3 short red chillies 
• 2 tbsp coconut 
• 1 small tomato 
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

For tempering:

• 5 cloves garlic (crushed)
• 10-12 curry leaves 
• 2 tbsp oil

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan. Add the crushed garlic. Fry until it turns brown. Add the curry leaves. Add the masala. Fry the masala on low fire for about 10-12 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of water. Let it boil. Add the prawns. Close the lid and let it cook. Check the salt and add lime juice. 
• Serve hot with rice. 

Bitter gourd/Karela Rings

 

Bitter gourd is a great source of several key nutrients. Bitter gourd rings are easy to prepare and can be enjoyed as a side dish. 

What you need:

• 2 large bitter gourds

• 2 tbsp rice flour 

• 1 tbsp corn flour 

• Juice of half lime 

• 2 tsp red chilli powder 

• 1/2 tsp coriander powder 

• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

• Salt to taste

• Oil for frying 

Method:

• Trim the ends of the bitter gourds and chop them into even sized rings. Discard the hard seeds. Wash and squeeze out the excess water. Apply salt and turmeric powder. Mix well and keep aside for half an hour.

• Squeeze the bitter gourd again and throw the excess salt water. Mix rice flour, corn flour, lime juice, red chilli powder, coriander powder and apply the paste evenly on the bitter gourd rings. Add salt if required. Marinate for 2 hours and shallow fry till crisp.