Brinjal in tamarind based gravy (Tamilian recipe)

Ingredients:

Serve 3 to 4

• 6 to 8 nos - small brinjal
• 10 to 15 – Sambar onion / small onion (chopped finely)
• 1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp - Red chilli powder ( or add as needed)
• 2 tsp - Coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp - Garam masala powder
• 1 no – Tamarind ( gooseberry sized ball)
• 5 to 10 nos – Curry leaves
• Salt to taste

For grinding:

• 1 tsp - Oil
• 10 nos - Small onion / sambar onion
• 1 medium - Tomato (chopped)

Seasonings:

• 1 tbsp – Oil ( pref sesame oil)
• 1/4 tsp - Mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp - Split black gram 
• 2 pinches – Fenugreek seeds 
• 5 to 6 nos - Curry leaves (fresh)
• 1 pinch – Asafoetida

Preparation method:

1. Soak tamarind in warm water and squeeze out the pulp. Set aside.
2. Wash brinjals, make 4 cuts on the back, without removing the stem (the way you would do for stuffed brinjal)
3. Heat oil in a pan, add sambar onion and tomato, saute until they are well cooked. Allow them to cool completely and grind them to coarse paste.
4. Heat oil in a pan, season with items given in the list for seasonings. Add chopped onion, brinjals along with little salt, cook over low flame stirring it now and then. Cook until brinjals are 1/2 done.
5. Now add ground onion tomato paste and saute for few seconds. Then add all masala powder given in the ingredient list and saute until raw smell goes.
6. Add 2 cups of water and required salt, bring it to boil. Cover with lid and cook until brinjals are almost cooked.
7. Now add tamarind water and cook for 5 to 10 or until raw smell of tamarind goes and when you reach desired consistency. Finally garnish with fresh curry leaves, switch off the stove and serve with hot rice.

Rohu in mustard gravy

My mom's recipe...

Ingredients

• Rohu (cut into slices) - 1 kg
• Yellow mustard - 3 tbsp
• Garlic - 1.5 pods
• Onion - 1
• Tomato - 1
• Panch foran
• Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
• Red chilli powder - as per taste
• Turmeric - 2 tbsp
• Salt - As per taste
• Mustard oil

Process

• Wash the fish slices thoroughly. Squeeze out the water by lightly pressing with hand.
• Add salt and 1 tbsp turmeric and marinate for 15 mins.
• Deep fry in mustard oil and keep aside.
• Make a fine paste of yellow mustard and garlic separately.
• Make a paste of onion and tomato
• Add panch foran in oil. Add garlic and fry for a while. When its light brown, add the mustard paste.
• Add coriander powder, red chilli powder and the remaining turmeric powder.
• Add the onion tomato paste.
• When the masala starts leaving oil, add water and salt. 
• Add the fish pieces when the water boils and let the fish pieces cook in the gravy for 5-7 minutes on medium heat.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve with rice.

Note : If you wish, you could also add fried potato and fried brinjal pieces with the fish in the gravy.

Oriental Salmon

....as shared by #northmeetssouth

Ingredients:

1. Salmon
2. Kikoman soya sauce - a good amount about 1/4 cup 
3. Thai red chilli or any other - 4 cut into halves so it's easy to remove
4. Lemongrass/kaffir lime leaves - 3-4 
5. Half a lemon
6. Ginger - 1/2 inch grated
7. Garlic - 2 big cloves crushed 
8. Coriander leaves finely chopped
9. Halved cherry tomatoes - up to you say about 10 but this is entirely optional. 
10. Olive oil  - splash 

Preparation:

Make sure the salmon is thawed if it was frozen. Put it in a baking dish and marinate it with all of the above. Nicely massage it with everything on the ingredient list. Let it sit for 5 mins and bake for 10-13 mins in a pre-heated oven at 180 degree Celsius. Cover the baking dish with aluminium foil to keep the fish juicy. 

Serve immediately! 

Bohri Biryani

This yummy biryani recipe is borrowed from a Bohri family, hence the name...

Ingredients (for 4 people)

• 1/2 kg mutton
• 1/2 kg rice
• 250 gms onion
• 1/2 cup curd
• 1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup coriander leaves, chopped
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
• garlic ginger paste 1.5 tbsp
• 7-8 cloves
• 5-6 small cardamom
• a small stick of cinnamon
• red chilli powder (as per taste)
• coriander powder 1.5 tbsp
• cumin powder 1.5 tbsp
• 3/4 cup milk
• few strands of kesar
• ghee 2-3 tbsp
• salt to taste
• 4-5 cashew nuts (for garnishing)

Method

• Cut onions in long and thin slices and deep fry it.
• Prepare garam masala powder by grinding cloves, cardamom and cinnamon.
• Marinate all the ingredients together except rice and tomatoes. Add tomatoes after half and hour. Marinate for minimum 3 hours.
• Add kesar to hot milk for about 30 mins.
• Par boil rice in a lot of water and a little bit of salt. Strain and keep aside.
• Put some oil in the bottom of pressure cooker, put a layer of marinated mutton and then add a layer of rice.
• Pour kesar milk on top of the rice; this prevents the rice from becoming too dry. Add ghee on top of rice as well.
• Put the pressure cooker on high flame till you get 2 whistles; then keep on low flame for 7-10 mins and switch off the gas. Let the pressure cooker cool completely.
• Serve hot with onion tomato raita and garnish with golden fried cashew nuts + onions.

Maa ki dal

Sabut urad - 1cup
Rajma -2tb sp
Tomatoes puréed 1
+tomato puree(Dabur) 100 gms
Onion-1
Ginger-2" piece
Garlic-5-6 cloves
Salt
Jeera-1 tsp
Hing pinch
Red ch pd
Garam masala
Dal makhani masala-2tbsp
Butter-3tbsp
Milk 150 ml or cream

Method
- soak dal and rajma overnight
-pressure cook dal rajma with 3-4 cups of water and salt , till soft
-open the lid and keep cooking on slow heat , add more water when required
-add Dabur puree and keep cooking
-now add milk (add cream for rich makhani dal)
-simmer on low heat till you get creamy consistency
- if required mash the dal  little with a ladle
-add dal makhani masala

-For tempering

 -heat butter ,add jeera hing and chopped onions and fry till transfer ant
  -add ginger garlic and keep frying till onions are golden brown
  -add the puréed tomatoes and ch pd
   -when ghee separates ,mix with dal
    - add Garam masala
    - garnish with little butter and coriander leaves

Besan ki sabzi (in mustard gravy)

My mom's recipe.

Ingredients (for 4 people)

1. Besan - 1 medium cup
2. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
3. Salt to taste
4. Red chilli powder - As per taste
5. Yellow mustard seeds - 3 teaspoon
6. Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
7. Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
8. 1 medium tomato paste
9. Black mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
10. Coriander leaves
11. Oil

Method

1. Make a fine paste of yellow mustard seeds and garlic in a mixie.
2. In a bowl, mix water with besan, red chilli powder, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/4 coriander powder. 1 teaspoon mustard+garlic paste, salt. The mix should be on pancake consistency.
3. In a non-stick pan, add a few drops of oil and make a thin pancake of the above mixture. When its brown on one side, fold it inwards into three layers. Add a bit of oil on the sides to brown it well.
4. Make similar pancakes of all the mixture, cut the folded pancakes into diamond shaped pieces.
5. In a kadai, add 2 teaspoons of oil; when oil is hot, add the mustard seeds till it crackles.
6. Add the remaining mustard+garlic paste. Reduce flame and saute for 3-4 mins. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and saute for 3-4 minutes more.
7. Add tomato paste and saute for few minutes.
8. When the masala is cooked, add 2.5 cups of water. 
9. Add salt as per taste. 
10. When the gravy starts boiling, add the besan pieces, reduce the flame and cook it for 5 minutes.
11. Garnish with coriander leaves.
12. Serve hot with roti or rice.

Authentic Bihari Sattu Ka Paratha

My Mom's recipe again :)

Ingredients (for 8 parathas)

For stuffing

1. Sattu ka atta - 1 medium size katori
2. Mustard oil - 2 teaspoon
3. Ajwain - 1 teaspoon
4. Kalonji - 1/4 teaspoon
5. 1 medium size chopped onion
6. Chopped garlic - 2 teaspoon
7. Chopped ginger - 1 teaspoon 
8. 2 chopped green chillies
9. Juice of one large lemon
10. Chopped coriander leaves
11. Salt to taste

For dough

1. Atta - 400 grams
2. Salt to taste
3. Ajwain
4. 1 teaspoon refined oil

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients well.
2. Sprinkle some water so that the sattu gets a binding consistency, and still has the powdery texture.
3. Make dough with all the ingredients mixed and divide it equally for 8 parathas.
4. Fill the mixture and cook it like normal parathas.
5. Serve it with curd or baingan bharta.

Sarson Ka Saag

1)  Boil together in a pressure cooker

    1.5kg    Sarson ka saag

     0.5kg   Palak

     150g    Methi leaves

                some coriander leaves along with their stalks

                (everything should bo washed thoroughly in running water and chopped 

                 roughly)

                 Salt to taste

        2       Onions (chopped roughly)

      2/3      Green chillies

      1 inch  Ginger
      

                  1 Ladleful each of rice, chana dal, and moong dal(chilka)

2)    Pressure cook for about 3 to 4 whistles.Let it cool and then blend it in a blender.

       Do not churn it too much so as to make it pasty.

3)    For the tadka

       Take 2 to 3 tablespoonful of oil/ghee in a kadai. 

        When hot add 1 tsf   of jeera

                              a pinch of hing

        Add 2 onions (finely chopped)

               2 green chillies

               1 tsf garlic paste

               1 tsf ginger paste

        Bhunno till light brown

        Now add 2/3 big tomatoes (finely chopped)

        Add the masalas

             1 tsf haldi

             1 tsf red chilli powder

             2 tsf coriander powder

             1 tsf garam masala powder

        Bhunno till the oil leaves the sides.

 4)   Now add the saag and cook it for a while. Cook it on low heat once it boils.

       Precaution:: Always cook the saag covered else it will splatter all over

 5)   Optional :  

       You can give a final tadka with desi ghee , hing, jeera and red chilli powder

       Or  you can have with white butter

Dindigul biryani recipe

Dindigul biryani recipe

Ingredients
Jeera Samba rice: 1 kg (for 10) I Mutton: 1.5 kg
Onion: 400 gm
Tomato: 400 gm
Mint leaves: 1 bunch
Coriander leaves: 1 bunch
Ginger-garlic paste: 6 tsp (approx 30 gm)
Cinnamon: 4
Cloves: 4
Star anise: 4 pieces
Marati moggu (type of caper): 4
Jathipathri: 4
Curd: 250 ml
Oil: 200 ml
Ghee: 50 ml
Chilli powder: 5 tsp
Coriander powder: 7 sp
Pepper powder: 4 tsp

Method
Cut the mutton into small pieces and soak it in curd for 20 minutes. Wash the rice and soak it in water for half an hour. Keep the biryani vessel in the stove and add oil, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise, marati moggu, jathipathri, mint leaves (50%) and coriander leaves (50 %). Then add sliced onions. Saute well until it turns transparent. Add ginger-garlic paste, followed by sliced tomatoes. Mix well until it merges together. Add the mutton pieces along with the curd, coriander powder, chilli powder and then add a glass of water. Add the required amount of salt at this stage and cook the mutton. Once it is cooked, add the pepper powder, soaked jeera rice, the remaining mint and coriander leaves. When it starts bubbling, put the lid on the fire and add the weight (in dum style). Leave it for about 20 mins and then add ghee.Serve it with raita or brinjal curry.

BROTH

Ingredients (for 2 people)
-------------------------------
6 crushed garlic cloves
2 tb sp dhuli masoor
1onion chopped
2bay leaves
3tb sp chopped carrots
2tb sp chopped potatoes
3tb sp chopped fresh beans
3tb sp chopped cabbage
2tb sp chopped tomatoes
1 green chill1
4 tsp oil
salt, kalimirch to taste

Method
-Soak masoor for an hour
-Heat oil, fry onion with bay leaves
-Add masoor, all vegetables except tomatoes,
 andcook for two minutes
-Add 6 teacups of water, cook covered for 15 min.
-Add tomatoes and boil for 2 min.
-Sprinkle salt, pepper
-Serve hot with garlic bread.

Never fail easy peasy Chettinad Biryani

This saviour of a recipe (given its easy and the husband absolutely LOVES it) comes from my sasural. I usually make a fresh coconut based curry to go with it (will post the recipe for that some other day) and the combination is simply divine. Of course raita goes perfectly well with it too. Enjoy...

Ingredients:

Biryani rice (any fragrant variety would do) - 2 cups

Chicken (preferably with bone) - 1/2 kg

Onion - 2-3 (cut into thin long pieces)

Tomato - 2-3 medium (finely chopped)

Ginger garlic paste - 1 heaped tbsp (I always make this fresh as anything store bought is not half as good)

Green chillies - LOTS (this is the only pungent thing as there is no chilli powder in the recipe. So use many else it will NOT be Chettinad enough!) say 6-8 medium spicy ones. Slit them lengthwise into 2

Mint leaves - 1 big bunch (say 1 big mug full after washing and chopping)

Coriander leaves - 1 bunch (1 cup full after washing and chopping)

Mint & coriander should be finely chopped

Curd - 2 tsp

Oil - little to sauté stuff

Salt to taste

Whole garam masalas

Cinnamon - 1 big stick

Elaichi - 2

Badi Elaichi - 1

Star Anise - 1

Cloves - 4

Bay Leaves - 3

Method:

Wash and marinate the chicken with salt and two tbsp curd for sometime (minimum 1 hour or overnight). 

Wash the rice and drain water.

In a thick bottomed vessel, the pressure cooker itself works well, heat oil and add the whole spices. Once they are aromatic add sliced onions and fry well till light brown. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell goes. Now add tomatoes and salt to taste and sauté till nicely cooked and pulpy. Add the green chillies and sauté for another minute or so. Add the finely chopped mint and coriander and sauté for another 5 minutes. 

By now others at home will know that you are making biryani!!

Now add the chicken and sauté for say 4-5 mins. Add the uncooked rice and sauté for another 2-3 mins. Add water inn the ratio 1:2 (rice:water)and check salt.

At this stage I like to add a little ghee (verrry little :P).

Close the cooker and once the steam starts coming out put the weight on and reduce the flame. Switch off the stove after exactly 10 mins. (this timing works miraculously well!).

Open after a while say 1/2 an hour or even later is ok. Give the biryani a nice mix before serving. 

Your Chettinad style biryani is ready!