ENNAI KARI (CHICKEN GRAVY)

The biggest lesson I learned in my cooking journey is that "SIMPLE IS ALWAYS BETTER". When we are passionate about cooking we tend to overdo and complicate things. But most of the tastiest dishes are very simple. This is one such dish with very fewer ingredients and a simple method but the taste is out of this world. Do give it a try and give me your feedback.

Ingredients:
Chicken - 1/2 kg
Onion -2(medium) (chopped)
Garlic - 6 cloves (chopped)
Ginger - 2-inch piece (chopped)
Tomato - 1 (medium) (chopped)
Green Chilly - 2
Coriander Leaves - a bunch
Sliced Coconut - 1/2 cup
Cinnamon - 1
Cardamom - 2
Cloves - 2
Red Chilly - 8
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Castor Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 4 tbsp



Preparation:

• Take oil in a pressure cooker and heat it. Once the oil is hot add Cinnamon, Cardamom, and cloves.
• Add the Red Chilly, Ginger and Garlic. Saute for a minute and add the chopped onion and cook until the onion becomes soft. Do not overcook the onion. 
• Add the chopped tomato and salt. Cook in a medium flame until the tomato becomes soft and mushy. 
• Add the chicken and mix well. Add the turmeric powder, green chilly, coriander leaves, sliced coconut, and castor oil. Add a glass of water and pressure cook it for 2 to 3 whistles. Switch off the flame.
• Once all the pressure is released, open the cooker and switch on the flame again and cook until all the water is evaporated and the oil comes out.
  

This chicken is the perfect combination for Tamarind Rice or Arisi Paruppu Saadham. The sliced coconut in this recipe gives a unique taste and texture.

GREEN APPLE PICKLE

Ingredients:
Green Apple - 4 (chopped)
Red Chilly Powder - 1 Tsp
Salt - 1 Tsp
Sugar - 2 Tsp
Fenugreek Seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp

Whole Black Pepper - 1 tsp

Garlic - 10-12 cloves
Hing - 1/4 tsp
Sesame Oil - 1/2 cup

Vinegar 1/4 cup

Preparation:

• Chop the apples into bite size pieces.
  
  
• Add Salt, Chilly powder and Sugar to it a mix well.
  
  
• Dry roast the fenugreek seeds until a nice aroma comes and then cool it down. Grind it to a fine powder.
  
  
• Add the Fenugreek powder to the Apple and mix well.

• Heat the Sesame oil in a pan and add Mustard seeds. Once the Mustard seeds splutter add the black pepper and garlic. switch off the flame and add Hing and turmeric powder to it.

• Pour the oil into the Apple mixture and mix well. 

• Then add the vinegar and give it a mix. 

Tips:

1. The Pickle will taste better after 2-3 days.
2. Refrigerate the pickle after keeping outside for two days. Otherwise fungus Will appear as the Apple is not cooked. 
3. This Pickle is a very good alternative for mango pickle.

MASALA VADAI

Ingredients:

Chana Dal - 1 cup
Onion - 2 (medium size, finely chopped)
Coriander Leaves - a bunch (finely chopped)
Mint Leaves - 2 sprigs (finely chopped)
Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs (finely chopped)
Fennel Seeds - 2 tsp
Red Chilly Powder - 1 Tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 Tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Preparation:

• Soak the chana dal overnight or preferably 5-6 hrs
• Drain the water from the dal and grind it along with fennel seeds into a coarse paste by adding very little water.
  
  
• Mix all the other ingredients and mix well using hands.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Deep fry the vadas in hot oil.
  
  .This Vadai is the perfect combination for Nombu Kanji.

Tips:

1. Grind the dal in two batches. Grind the first batches very roughly without adding water. Grind the next batch smoothly by adding little water. Mix well. This way you will get perfectly crisp yet soft vadas.
2. Mix the onion and leaves only before frying. Otherwise, the batter will become watery.
3. For crispy vadai do not shape the vadai. Just take some batter and drop it in oil without shaping.
4. For variations, spinach or drumstick leaves can be added instead of coriander and mint leaves.

VEG MANCHURIAN

Ingredients:(for veg balls)

Mixed vegetables(carrot, peas, cabbage) - 2 cups

Maida - 2 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Ajeenomotto - 1 tsp

Salt - as required

Soy sauce - 1 tsp

Chilli sauce - 1/2 tsp

Red color - optional

For sauce

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Spring onion - 1stick

Ginger(chopped) - 1 tsp 

Garlic(chopped) - 2 tsp

Soy sauce - 2 tbsp

Chilli sauce - 1 tsp

Tomato sauce - 2 tbsp

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Ajeenomotto - 1 tsp

Oil
Corn flour+water mixture - 2 to 3 tbsp

Method:

1. Boil the vegetables and drain it and try to take all the moisture out of it

2.Mash the vegetables and add all the ingredients (for veg balls) and mix it well

3. Make it into small balls and deep fry it in oil

For sauce:

1. Pour a little oil in a pan and add cumin seeds

2. Add onion, ginger, garlic and saute it in a low flame

3. Add all the sauces, salt, ajeenomotto, sugar and mix well and add a cup of water
4. When the mixture is boiling add the corn flour water mixture and allow it to boil until the sauce thickens
5. Switch off the flame and toss in the veg balls and garnish with coriander leaves

• Be careful while adding the salt in both veg balls and the sauce
• Soy sauce is very salty and remember that ajeenomotto is also a salt so the dish requires very very little amount of salt
• Instead of using water in the sauce use the water that is drained from the vegetables. This gives a delicious sauce
• Before dropping all the balls in the oil check it by dropping one ball and if the ball splits add some more maida to the mixture and mix it and fry it

This dish goes very well with pulao and fried rices

DUM AALOO

Ingredients:
Baby Potatoes - 1/2 kg
Onion - 1
Tomatoes - 2
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - a pinch
Red chilli powder - acc to taste
Cumin powder - 1/2tsp
Coriander powder - 1tsp
Kasuri methi(Dried fenugreek leaves)
Whole garam masala
Cumin seeds
Cream - optional
Butter
Oil

Preparation:

1. Deep fry the uncooked potatoes in the oil without cutting it
2. Heat oil in a pan and add Cinnamon, cardamom and cloves and half a tsp of cumin seeds
3. Then add one big chopped onion and saute it
4. Add a pinch of turmeric and then add 2 tsp of ginger garlic paste and fry well
5. Add a little water to prevent the masala from sticking and add red chilli powder(acc to ur taste) and 1/2 tsp cumin powder and 1 tsp coriander powder and cook well till the oil seperates
6. Add 2 medium size tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are soft and well cooked
7. Cool this mixture and remove the cinnamon cardamom and cloves from the mixture and grind it to a smooth paste
8. Add a little butter in a pan and when it is heated pour the ground mixture in it and add needed amount of water to make it thin
9. Allow it to boil and add salt and a pinch of sugar and add the fried potatoes in it and cook for 5 mins                                                                                                                                                 (If u dont want to fry the potatoes just add the uncooked potatoes and cook for longer time)
10. Atlast add a tbsp of cream (if u dont have cream add 2 tbsp of thick milk)

       Garnish with little coriander leaves
I made this recipe from vahrehvah.com

MUSHROOM MANCHURIAN

This recipe is exactly like cauliflower manchurian. Just add mushroom instead of cauliflower and follow the same recipe.

To view my cauliflower manchurian click here
http://nasrin-luv2cook.blogspot.com/2009/06/gobi-manchurian.html

PEANUT CHUTNEY

       PEANUT CHUTNEY is always my favourite chutney. But in my house peanut chutney is not a regularly made thing. I tasted this chutney from my school friend once and it became my favourite instantly. I always wanted to make the best peanut chutney. I tried from many websites and blogs. But i didn't get the taste i was having in my mind. Then last week i combined all the things i learned from the blogs and created my own recipe out of it. Surprisingly that was the taste i was searching for. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

Peanut- 1 cup

Grated coconut- 1 cup

dhalia- 1 tbsp

Onion- 1(medium)

Green chillies- 2-3

Red chilly- 2

Tamarind paste- 1 tsp

Oil- 1 tbsp

Salt

Preparation:

1. Pour some oil in a pan. Add the peanuts in the oil and saute till it becomes golden color.
2. Add the dhalia and fry for two seconds. Add the red and green chillies and saute well
3. Add the onion and saute until the raw smell of onion goes away.
4. Add the grated coconut and salt and saute for a minute.
5. Switch off the flame and add the tamarind paste to it.
6. Put the mixture in a grinder or blender and grind it into a fine paste.
7. Tempering is optional