Chammanthipodi

INGREDIENTS:

1)      Coconut - 4 cups, grated 

Shallots - 2 

Green chillies - 2

Mint leaves - 2/3 leaves

Coriander leaves - 3 stems

Curry leaves - 1 stem 

Asafoetida powder – ½ teaspoon

Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon

Tamarind pulp – 1 teaspoon

Sugar – 1 teaspoon

Salt to taste  

2) Red chillies – 10
3) Urad dal – 2 tablespoons
4) Tuar dal – 1 tablespoon
5) Raw rice – 1 tablespoon

METHOD:
Dry roast all ingredients in list 1 on slow heat until there is no water content left in the coconut and the mixture turns brown.
Dry roast 2,3,4, and 5 separately for five minutes each.
Let all ingredients cool down.
Grind list 1 ingredients in a mixer/grinder. Similarly, grind all the other ingredients together. Ensure that the ingredients are not ground into a smooth powder.
Add both the ground mixtures in a frying pan and dry roast on slow heat for five minutes. When this cools down, grind once more in a mixer/grinder.

POSTSCRIPT: You can increase/decrease chillies to suit your taste. 

Prawn fry

Ingredients:
Prawns – 250 gms

MARINADE:
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Chilli powder – 1 tsp
Shallot paste – 1 tbsp
Garlic paste – ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Curry leaves

FRY:
Onions – 1 large, cubed
Tomatoes – 1, cubed
Green chillies – 4/5, slit
Curry leaves
Soy sauce – 1 tsp
Sugar – 1 pinch
Monosodium glutamate – 1 pinch
Oil – 1½ tbsp
Salt – ½ tsp

METHOD:
Mix the ingredients for the marinade, apply it to the prawns and marinate for 2 hours.
Boil the prawns in the marinade until the water content is reduced.

Heat oil in a pan. Fry the boiled prawns for about 5 minutes and remove them from the pan.
In the same oil, add onions and green chillies. When onions turn transparent, add tomatoes and curry leaves.

Add soy sauce, sugar, monosodium glutamate and salt, and mix well. Now add the prawns and sauté well. Take off the stove.

Toasted sandwiches

Ingredients:
Potatoes – 4 large, boiled and mashed
Onions – 2 large, chopped
Tomatoes – 2 large, chopped
Chicken breasts – 1 cup, boiled (with salt and black pepper) and shredded
Eggs – 2, mixed with a pinch each of salt and black pepper powder
Green chillies – 4, chopped
Ginger – 2 inch piece, finely chopped
Curry leaves, coriander and mint leaves – finely chopped

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Chilli powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Black pepper powder – ½ tsp
Garam masala powder – ½ tsp
Monosodium glutamate – ½ tsp
Soy sauce – 1 tsp
Sugar – 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Water – ¼ cup
Oil – 2 tablespoons
Bread – 2 loaves, sliced
Butter/ghee – as needed

Method:

Filling:
Heat a pan with oil in it. Add green chillies and ginger and sauté for some time. Add onions and sauté until transparent. Add soy sauce, followed by turmeric, chilli, coriander, black pepper and garam masala powders, and mix well. Add tomatoes and chicken pieces. After mixing well, add potatoes. Add salt, sugar and monosodium glutamate. Add water and stir the mixture for 5 minutes. Add eggs to it and mix well for 5 more minutes until there is no water content. Add the leaves, mix well and take off the stove.

Sandwiches:

Take two slices of bread, apply butter/ghee on all four corners and in the middle on one side. Keep the sides with the butter facing each other. Place the filling on the side turned upward.

Remember to keep this side up when you place it on the toaster. Cover this with the other slice, keeping the buttered side up. Close the toaster.

Cook until both sides are golden brown.

Postscript:
1. You can use any filling to make toasted sandwiches.
2. We always butter the slices, add the filling and keep them ready so that we save time and gas while cooking them.
3. We made 20 sandwiches from 2 loaves of bread and this filling.

Garam Masala Powder

Ingredients:
Cinnamon - 1 tablespoon
Cloves - 1 tablespoon
Fennel seeds/Aniseed - one and a half tablespoons
Poppy seeds/Khus khus - 1 level tablespoon
Black pepper - 1 teaspoon
Cardamom - 1 teaspoon

Method:
Heat all the ingredients in a frying pan for 2-3 minutes or until they are all well dried. Alternatively, you can dry them in the sun.
Grind them into a fine powder.

Postscript:
We do not use nutmeg, mace, cumin or star anise. You can add or reduce ingredients according to your taste.

Chicken curry

Ingredients:
Chicken – 1 kg, cleaned and cut into pieces
Onions – 3 medium, sliced
Potatoes – 3 medium, cut into pieces
Tomatoes – 3 medium, chopped
Green chillies – 5/6, slit
Ginger – 1 large piece, chopped
Chilli powder – 1 tbsp
Coriander powder – 3 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil – 2 tbsp
Water – 2 small cups
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves
Sugar – 1 tsp (optional)
Monosodium glutamate – ½ tsp (optional)

Method:
Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Sauté the ginger, green chillies and curry leaves for some time. Add the onions and sauté until transparent.
Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder and sauté well. Add tomatoes and sauté for 5 minutes. Then add potatoes and sauté them also for 5 minutes. Now add the chicken pieces, followed by salt, sugar and monosodium glutamate, and mix well.
Pour water, mix well and close the cooker. Place the weight. Cook for two/three whistles so that the potatoes are well done. Take off the stove.
Open the cooker and garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves.



Postscript:
You can add a little coconut milk when you serve the curry. It adds to the flavor and reduces the spiciness.

Egg masala curry

Ingredients:
Eggs - 6, boiled
Potatoes - 2 medium, cubed
Tomatoes - 2 medium, cut into small pieces
Onions - 2 medium, thinly sliced and cut in the middle
Green chillies - 3 or 4, slit in the middle
Ginger - 1", cut into small pieces or crushed
Curry leaves, mint and coriander leaves.
Oil - 2 tablespoons

Ingredients for masala (to be fried and ground into paste)
Coconut - 1 half, shredded
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 4 teaspoons
Pepper powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Method:
Boil the eggs. Remove the shells and slit them slightly all around.
Heat a frying pan with 2 tablespoons of oil in it.
Add the cut onions, green chillies, ginger and curry leaves and saute until onions are transparent.
Then add the tomatoes and stir well, followed by the potato cubes.
Stir for a few minutes and add the ground masala paste. Add enough water for the potato cubes to cook.
When the potatoes are done, add salt. Then add the eggs, cover the frying pan and bring to a boil.
Garnish with the curry leaves, mint and coriander leaves.

Poori masala

Pooris
Ingredients:
Wheat flour
Maida
Salt to taste
Butter/ghee/oil
Milk (optional)

Method:
Take a glass each of wheat flour and maida. Mix salt, 1 tsp butter/ghee/oil and 1 tbsp milk (optional). Knead into a soft dough, roll into small balls, flatten into small circles, and deep fry in hot oil.

Masala
Ingredients:

Potatoes - 1 cup, mashed
Onions - 1 large, sliced
Green chillies - 2/3, slit
Ginger - 1 inch piece, cut into small pieces
Turmeric powder - half tsp
Chilli powder - half tsp
Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Sugar - a pinch (optional)
Water - according to the thickness of gravy you need.
Oil - 1/2 tbsps

Method:

Heat oil in a frying pan. Add the mustard seeds. When they crackle, add urad dal, red chillies and 1/2 curry leaves. Then add onions, green chillies, ginger, and 1/2 curry leaves. Saute well. When the onions turn transparent, add potatoes, turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and sugar. Mix well. Add water and boil for 5 minutes.

Postscript:
1) Our measures for the poori dough maybe different from yours. :D
2) My grandfather used to call this masala 'podimas'. We do the same when we serve it with dosas! :D

Okra paneer masala

Ingredients:
Okra (lady's fingers) - 250 gms, cut into 1 inch pieces
Paneer – 250 gms, cut into 1 inch long rectangles

Onions – 2 large, sliced
Tomatoes – 2 medium, cut into small pieces
Green chillies – 3/4 , slit sidewise
Ginger – 1 inch piece, cut into tiny pieces
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Pepper powder – as needed
Chilli powder - teaspoon
Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
Salt
Monosodium glutamate (optional)
Sugar (optional)
Curry leaves
Oil

Method:

Marinate the okra and paneer pieces in pepper powder and salt for half an hour.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry them separately and keep aside.

Add the chillies, ginger and some curry leaves to the oil. Then add the onions and sauté well. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder and mix well.

Add the tomato pieces, followed by salt, sugar and monosodium glutamate and mix well. Add the okra and paneer pieces and stir well. Pour the coconut milk, mix well, cover with a lid and cook until there is no water content.

Take off the stove and garnish with curry leaves.

Postscript: We used paneer in this recipe because some members in our family don't like okra! :D

Paneer Aloo Masala

Ingredients:

Potatoes- 2 medium, cubed

Tomatoes - 2 medium, cut into small pieces

Onions - 2 medium, thinly sliced and cut in the middle

Green chillies - 3 or 4, slit in the middle

Ginger - 1", cut into small pieces or crushed

Curry leaves, mint and coriander leaves.
Paneer - 250 gms, cubed and marinated in salt, chilli powder and turmeric powder for half an hour and fried.

Ingredients for masala (to be fried and ground into paste) Coconut - 1 half, shredded

Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 4 teaspoons
Pepper powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Method:

Heat a frying pan. Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into it.
Add the cut onions, green chilllies, ginger and leaves into it and saute until onions are transparent.

Then add the tomatoes and stir well, followed by the potato cubes.

Stir for a few minutes and add the ground masala paste. Add enough water for the potato cubes to cook.

When the potatoes are cooked, add the fried paneer cubes and cover the frying pan for a few minutes. Add salt to taste.
Garnish with coriander and mint leaves and a little coconut cream.