My Favorite Recipes

These are some of my very own concoctions and hard though it may seem to to believe, trust me when I tell you that they are indeed scrumptious!!Most of them,you will find, have a peppered brushing of North Indian, Hyderababi, Moghlai, Kannada , Konkani and not to mention my mom's, influence!!Go Ahead..try 'em out!

Vegetarian Dishes

Vegetable Pulao

Masala Dhal

Cauliflower Manchurian

Palak Paneer

Malai Kofta

Tomato Chutney

Methi Pulao

Masala Chat

Khadi

Baigare Baigan

Hot Tomato Pickle

Shahi Paneer

Paneer Makhani

Vegetable Fingers



Non-Vegetarian Dishes

Pepper Chicken in a Coconut gravy

Lamb in a Red Gravy

Hyderabadi Fish

Egg Akoori

Egg Masala

Kathi Kabab

Lamb Chilli Fry

Hot and Sour Shrimps

Tomato Chicken

Chicken Curry in a Coconut Base



Konkani Dishes

Beans Upkari

PuliKodel

Cabbage Upkari

Dali Thoi

Vali(Spinach) Ambat

Batata Gojju



Desserts

Rice Kheer

Caramel Custard

Trifle Pudding

Kichidi



Vegetable Pulao

Ingredients:

    3 cups of rice, boiled
    A bunch of cilantro leaves.
    3-4 green chillies.
    2 teaspoons of dessicated coconut(You can get this at an Indian
			Grocery store).
    3  medium onions,sliced fine.
    1/2 an onion, chopped.
    A few sticks of cinammon, a few cardommom seeds, a few cloves.
    1 1/2 Teaspoons red chilli powder.
    Salt to taste.
    2 flakes garlic.
    1 inch piece ginger.
    Ghee or melted butter for frying.
    1 cup of cauliflower flowerets.
    Some mixed frozen vegetables like beans, carrots and green peas.
    

  Grind together the 1/2 onion, coconut, garlic, ginger and cilantro
in the blender, to make a smooth paste.Keep aside.
  Fry the onions in a little ghee or melted butter.Also add the cloves,
cinnamon and cardommom.When onions are browned properly, add the red
chilli powder and fry for 30-45 seconds.Now add all the vegetables,
including the cauliflower and sprinkle some water on it.Keep
covered and cook on a low flame till the vegetables are cooked.this
might take approximately 15-20 minutes.Keep sprinkling water
periodically to speeden up the process, but do not add excess water
as it will ruin the Pulao.
  When the vegetables are done, transfer the vegeables to a big
mixing dish, add all the boiled rice, salt to taste and the blended
masala.Mix thoroughly and then heat it either in a microwave or on
low heat on the cooking range.It is heated again to let the salt
spread across the dish.
  Serve with Raita.

 To make Raita you will need:
   2-3 onions chopped fine.
   1 green chilli, cut into very fine pieces.
   1 packet of buttermilk.(Do not use plain or flovored
		yoghurt.Buttermilk is available easily at your grocery
		store).
   1 Cucumber chopped(Optional).
   1-2 tomatoes chopped finely.
   Salt to taste.

 Mix all the above ingredients in a dish and leave it to set in the
refridgerator.This will go very well with hot steamy Pulao.


Masala Dhal

Ingredients:

  One cup toor dhal.
  Two medium tomatoes.
  A bunch of coriander leaves.
  2 teaspoons full coriander powder. 
  Some red chillies(around 10) or 2-3 teaspoons of chilli powder.
  2-3 flakes garlic.
  A small piece of ginger.
  Some butter.
  Three small onions.
  1 teaspoon cumin seeds or powder.
  Some cardamom, cinammon, cloves.
  salt to taste.

   Boil the toor dhal in the cooker for only two whistles.It should be
just boiled and not too soft.
   In the blender, grind together two onions, garlic, ginger, coriander
leaves, tomatoes,cumin seeds,coriander powder and the red chillies(or
powder).
  Slice the other onion finely. 
  Melt some butter in a pan and fry the sliced onion with the cardomom,
cinammon and cloves.When the onions are turning a little brown, add the
ground masala and fry for around 15-20 minutes(all the water should
have evaporated, and the paste should be dry!!!).Now add the boiled
dhal to it and add a little water to make a gravy.Add salt to taste.
Boil for a while till you get the required consistency.This is really
delicious if you make it right.It is also very easy.The trick here is
to fry the masala well.That's it.Eat it hot with rice and papad.


Cauliflower Manchurian

Ingredients:

  One cauliflower cut into small flowerets.
  3-4 Green chillies(Not bell peppers!!)
  1 bunch of green onions(Shallots), If not available use white onion
  3 flakes of garlic,crushed finely.
  4-5 flakes of garlic,chopped.
  Some hot sauce like tabasco sauce or Cayenne pepper sauce(about 2 tbsp).
  A little ginger, crushed finely.
  3 tablespoons of Chappati Flour(You can get this at an Indian grocery
              store.It's called Atta).
  3 tablespoons of Cornflour(They sometimes call it Corn starch).
  Salt to taste.
  Oil for deep-frying the cauliflower.
  Oil for making the sauce.(About 2 tablespoons).
  2 teaspoons of Red chilli powder.
  1 Teaspoon Soya sauce.
  
 Make a batter out of the 2 tablespoons of Cornflour and all the
Chappati Flour.Finely crush the ginger and garlic and add it to the
above batter. Add the red chilli powder, salt, 1/2 teaspoon of soya
sauce and some tabasco or chilli sauce.Mix well by hand.Dip the
cauliflower flowerets in it and deep fry till golden brown.Drain and
keep aside.
  To make the sauce:-
     Dissolve the remaining cornflour in 1-2 tablespoons of water,
add the remaining(1/2 teaspoon) of soy sauce, salt, and tabasco sauce.
Mix all this well and keep it aside.
     Heat oil in a frying pan and add chopped green-chillies, chopped
garlic, chopped green onions.Stir fry for about 5-6 minutes .Then add
the above prepared cornflour paste and lower the heat.The sauce will
begin to thicken and when it is thick enough, take it from the fire
and pour it over the fried flowerets.
   The above recipe is for a Chinese style Cauliflower Manchurian.

If you want to give it a touch of Indian, you can make the following
changes in the recipe:
     - Use Cilantro(Coriander leaves) and put it in the batter when
frying the cauliflower.Also after the thick sauce is prepared, garnish
it with some cilantro.
     - Add whole jeera to the batter used for frying the cauliflower.
     - Do not use any tabasco or chilli sauce in the batter or in the 
       preparing the sauce.Use lemon juice or lime juice instead.
     -Use ghee or melted butter to make the sauce instead of using
      oil.

  This dish is extremely easy and also yummy.It is a little time
consuming though, because of the preparation and frying time.


Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

  One Packet of chopped spinach leaves
  2 medium size onions
  2-4 flakes of garlic
  1 inch piece ginger
  4-5 green chillies
  1 teaspoon red chilli powder
  2 teaspoons coriander powder
  1 teaspoon cumin powder(or crushed cumin)
  A pinch of turmeric
  2 tomatoes
  Cooking Oil
  Paneer, cut into cubes
  Oil for frying the Paneer.

    Deep fry the Panner cubes in oil, drain and set aside.
    Boil in an open vessel, along with a little water, the spinach,
tomato garlic, ginger and green chillies.When done, blend into a
coarse paste.
    Chop the onions and fry them till they turn brown.Add the red-
chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and turmeric and fry
for about 30 seconds.Add the blended spinach paste and the fried
paneer.Add water to get the required consistency.Add salt to taste
and bring to a boil.Eat hot with tortillas or pita bread.


Malai Kofta

Ingredients:

  For the Kofta:

  1 1/2 lb. potatoes
  2 heaped tablespoons each of crumbled paneer, khoya and thick malai
  4-5 cashewnuts chopped
  1 tablespoon raisins
  2-3 finely chopped green chillies
  1/4 tsp sugar
  1 tsp coriander powder
  1 tsp cumin powder
  1 tsp red-chilli powder
  1/2 tsp cardammom powder
  Salt to Taste
  Cooking oil
  Oil for frying the koftas

  For the gravy:

  2 medium onions,chopped
  3 flakes garlic,crushed
  1 inch ginger,crushed
  3 large tomatoes,pureed
  1 tsp red-chilli powder
  1/2 tsp garam masala powder
  1/2 tsp dhania(corainder) powder
  1/2 tsp cumin powder
  2 tsp powdered poppy seeds
  1/2 tsp sugar
  1 tbsp ground peanuts

  Boil the potatoes till tender.Peel, mash and add salt to taste.
Keep aside.Mix all the other ingredients for the kofta into a 
paste.Make rounds of the potato dough and place a little of the 
prepared mixture in the center of each round.Seal the edges and 
shape into stuffed rounds.
  Deep fry each kofta till golden brown.Drain and keep aside.
  Blend together the onions, ginger and garlic and fry in 3 tbsp 
of oil till brown and the oil begins to seperate.Add the pureed 
tomatoes and the masala powders.Add the poppy seeds and fry for a
minute.Add the sugar and the ground peanuts.The gravy will begin to
thicken.You can also add some malai to thicken it some more.
  Mix in some water if necessary.When the gravy comes to a boil, 
add the koftas.Heat through and serve.The koftas should be put 
in just before eating the dish or else they will turn soggy.


Tomato Chutney

Ingredients:

   1 1/2 lb. tomatoes
   1 teaspoon asoefetida(hing)
   1/2 tsp fenugreek (methi)
   1 tsp mustard seeds
   A pinch of Turmeric
   1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
   1/2 cup of thick tamarind juice
   Salt to taste
   Cooking Oil

  Chop the tomatoes finely.
  Heat the oil and fry the hing, mustard and fenugreek seeds.When the
mustard starts crackling, add the chopped tomatoes and fry till the
tomatoes are soft.Blend it into a paste and keep aside.
  Heat some oil in a pan, add the turmeric and red-chilli powders and
fry for 45 seconds.Add the tomato paste, salt and the tamarind juice.
Boil for around 10 minutes.
  Tastes excellent with rasam and rice.


Methi Pulao

Ingredients:


  1 1/2 cups of Basmati rice
  Paneer , cut into cubes and deep fried
  1 cup green peas
  A small bunch of Fenugreek leaves(Methi)
  2 tomatoes, chopped fine
  6 flakes garlic, chopped fine
  2 green chillies, chopped fine
  1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  1-2 tsp red chilli powder
  Salt to taste
  Cooking Oil

  Heat oil in a pan.Add garlic paste and fry well.Add the chopped
tomatoes,chopped fenugreek leaves, green chillies, green peas,
red-chilli powder,turmeric and salt.Continue frying for 10 minutes.
Add the rice and fry well for 4-5 minutes.Add enough water to this
and pressure cook on low heat for 5-6 minutes.Garnish with fried paneer.
  


Masala Chat

Ingredients:

   2 cups of dried green peas
   Some jaggery
   2 lemon sized balls of tamarind
   6-7 split green chillies
   9-10 dates
   1 bunch of coriander(Cilantro)leaves
   3 tbsp dried, dessicated coconut
   1-2 tsp chilli powder
   1 tsp mustard seeds
   3 tsp roasted and powdered cumin seeds
   2 tsp roasted and powdered coriander seeds
   1 -2 tsp chat masala
   Some Rice vada
   Grated carrot
   1 onion,minced
   Cooking oil

   Pressure cook the peas with a little water till soft and done.
   To make the Pani:
      Boil a glass of water with a small square of jaggery(you can
   substitute sugar if jaggery is not avaliable, but it will
   not give you the same taste).Add 2 teaspoons of roasted cumin
   and the thick juice of one lemon size ball of tamarind.Boil.Cool

   To make the sweet Chutney:
     De-seed the dates.Blend into a smooth paste the dates, juice
   of the other lemon size tamarind ball, a little jaggery, 1 tsp
   roasted cumin powder, the coriander powder and salt to taste.

   To make the hot Chutney:
     Season oil with mustard,add the green chillies, coriander
   leaves chopped, red-chilli powder and the coconut.Fry for
   a while and then blend it into a smooth paste, adding salt
   to taste.

   For each serving of the chat,
        Powder some vada and add one portion of the boiled peas
   to it.Add 3-4 tbsps of the pani,2-3 tsp of the hot Chutney
   and 4-5 tsp of the sweet Chutney.Mix well.Sprinkle some
   red-chilli powder and chat masala on top, garish with grated
   carrot and minced onion.Eat immediately or it will turn soggy.


Khadi

Ingredients:

   1 packet Buttermilk
   2-3 heaped tbsp Bengal gram flour
   3-4 slit green chillies
   A pinch of turmeric

   For the Pakodis:
   Bengal Gram flour
   3-4 chopped green chillies
   A pinch of Asoefetida(Hing)
   2-3 tsp Red-chilli pwd
   1-2 tsp cumin seeds
   Salt to taste
   Oil for frying

   For the seasoning:
   Cooking oil
   A pinch of Asoefetia(Hing)
   A sprig of curry leaves
   1 tsp mustard seeds
   1 tsp fennel(Saunf)
   1 tsp red-chilli pwd
   2 tsp coriander pwd
   1-2 dried red chillies
   2-3 garlic flakes chopped

   Dilute the buttermilk to get the required consistency.This
dish, after done and left to settle, will thicken a lot.So it is
advisable to make it of a thin consistency to start with.Add a
pinch of turmeric and the bengal gram flour and mix well by hand
until all the flour is blended into the buttermilk.Add the split
green chillies and salt to taste.Put it on the fire and bring to
a boil on low-heat.
   To make the Pakodis:
   Mix together all the ingredients for the Pakodis with a little
water, to get a batter.Make small balls of the batter and
deep fry in oil till done.Drain and add to the buttermilk.
   The seasoning:
   Heat about 2 tbsp of oil and add the mustard.When it crackles
add the garlic and fry for 20 seconds.Add all the remaining
ingredients one by one, adding the fennel at the last.Fry for a
few seconds and then add it to the buttermilk.


Baigare Baigan

Ingredients:

 3/4 lb. small egplant
 Roast and powder 1 tbsp coriander seeds,1 tsp cumin seeds,1 tbsp
 poppy seeds,2 red chillies, 1 tsp sesame seeds.
 2 small onions
 2 tbsp coconut
 4-5 flakes garlic
 1" ginger
 1/2 tsp turmeric
 Curry leaves
 1 cup tamarind juice
 3-4 split green chillies
 1/2 tsp sugar
 Salt to taste
 Cooking oil
 Cilantro(Coriander leaves),chopped

  Cut the eggplant into quarters and fry them in oil till well
browned.Drain and set aside.
  Blend into a smooth paste the onions,garlic, ginger and
coconut.Heat 4 tbsp oil and fry the mixture till browned.Now
add the turmeric, mustard,curry meaves and salt to taste.
Fry for 2 minutes.
  Add the tamarind juice, the fried eggplant, the green chillies,
sugar, some water and salt to taste.Simmer till gravy thickens.
Garnish with chopped coriander(Cilantro)leaves.


Hot Tomato Pickle

Ingredients:

   1 lb. green tomatoes(Red ones can be used too)
   15-20 red chillies
   1 cup chopped ginger
   1 cup chopped garlic
   2 cups vinegar
   1 tsp turmeric
   1 tbsp mustard seeds
   1 tsp fenugreek
   1 1/2 cups oil
   Salt to taste

   Slice the tomaotes, smear turmeric and salt on them
and soak them in 1 cup vinegar.Leave for about 2 hours.
   Blend together the garlic, ginger, red chillies and
3/4 of the mustard, with a little vinegar.
   Heat the oil and add the remaining mustard.When the
mustard crackles, add the fenugreek.Fry for 2 minutes
and then add the blended mixture and fry well for over 20
minutes.
  Add the tomatoes and the remaining vinegar.Stir
continuously as the mixture comes to a boil.When the
pickle is almost done, the oil begins to float at the top.
Take it off the heat and let it cool.Store in a clean
bottle.Will keep for a year(if anything remains of it!!).


Shahi Paneer

Ingredients:

   400 gm fresh Paneer
   Blend to a paste:  2 medium onions
                      1" ginger piece
                      4 flakes garlic
                      2 green chillies
   Powder together:   2" cinnamon stick
                      2-3 cardammoms
                      2-3 cloves
                      1 tbsp poppy seeds
                      2 tbsp cashewnuts(or almonds)
   2 tomatoes pureed
   1 tsp red-chilli pwd
   A pinch of turmeric
   2 tsp coriander pwd
   1 tsp cumin pwd
   Salt to taste
   Cooking oil

   Cut the panner into cubes, deep fry in oil till golden
brown, drain and set aside.
   Heat a little oil and fry the onion paste till it begins
to brown.Mix in the poppy-cashew powder and the other dry powders.
Fry for a minute and then add the pureed tomatoes.Add some water and
bring to a boil.Add salt to taste.Add the fried paneer , heat
through and eat it hot.


Paneer Makhani

Ingredients:

   2 medium onions
   1" ginger piece
   3 flakes garlic
   2 red-chillies
   1 tsp poppy seeds
   1 tsp garam masala
   1 1/2 tsp coriander pwd
   1 tsp cumin pwd
   A pinch turmeric
   3 tbsp halved cashewnuts
   Paneer
   1 tbsp raisins
   Sugar to taste
   Salt to taste
   Cooking oil

   Cube the paneer, deep fry in oil till golden brown , drain
and keep side.
   Blend together the onions, garlic, ginger, red-chilies and
poppy seeds.Heat a little oil and fry the onion paste till done.
Mix in the dry powders and fry lightly.Add the cashewnuts and
raisins.Add some water and let it come to a boil.Add the paneer,
sugar and salt to taste.Simmer till gravy thickens.


Vegetable Fingers

Ingredients:

  1 cup of cabbage chopped finely
  1 cup of string beans chopped finely
  1 cup of grated carrot
  1 cup of grated onion
  1-2 tsp black pepper
  Salt to taste
  Green-chilli sauce
  Soy sauce
  2 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste
  Cooking oil
  3-4 heaped tbsp Chappati flour

  Boil the vegetables till they are soft and mushy.Add all the other
ingredients to the vegetables and knead the dough into small
finger shaped pieces.Deep fry these in oil and drain.
  Eat hot with tabasco sauce and tomato sauce.


Pepper Chicken in a Coconut Gravy

Ingredients:


  Around 2- 2.5 pounds of chicken cut into medium pieces.
  3 tablespoons of pepper powder.
  3-4 flakes of garlic crushed into a paste.
  A small piece of ginger crushed into a paste.
  Some dry coconut( you can get this in the Indian Co-op store).
  unsalted butter.
  A few sticks(3-4) of cinnamon.
  Some cloves(3-4).
  A few cardomom seeds(3-4).
  2 small tomatoes , cut into very small pieces.
  2-3 teaspoon of coriander powder.
  2 Medium onions, sliced fine.
  1 teaspoon chilli powder.
  A little turmeric(haldi). 
  1 teaspoon cumin powder.(you can use whole cumin seeds, i.e jeera, too)
  Coriander leaves to garnish.(optional)
  Salt to taste.

  Smear 2 tablespoons of pepper powder and salt on the chicken
pieces.Pierce the chicken pieces with a fork and let the chicken
marinate for a few hours.Heat some butter(you can also use oil!)in
a pan and fry the chicken pieces one by one.Not deep fry, just like
frying onions.Keep the fried chicken pieces aside.
  In the same oil(butter) you used to fry the chicken, now fry the
sliced onions,cardomom,ginger, garlic,cloves and cinammon.When the
onions are brown, add the coriander powder, chilli powder, haldi,
cumin powder and fry for 1 1/2 minutes.Add the coconut and tomatoes
and keep frying.Do not add water.Now add the remaining pepper powder
(around 1 tablespoon) and fry for a minute.Now add water, enough to
get a thick paste.Drop the fried chicken pieces into the gravy and
you can add water to make it into a thin gravy.Add salt to taste.
Boil for 10 minutes, till chicken is well mixed with the pepper
masala.Garnish with coriander leaves.Eat hot with rice and
enjoy!!!!!


Lamb in a Red Gravy

Ingredients:

   1 lb. lamb cut into small pieces and cooked till tender
   Blend together to a fine paste: 2 medium onions
                                   1.5" ginger
                                   6-8 flakes of garlic
                                   a small piece cinnamon
                                   2-3 cloves
                                   2 black cardammom
   Blend together to a fine paste: 10 red chillies
                                   1 lb. tomatoes
   Cooking oil
   2 tsp coriander pwd
   1/2 tsp cumin pwd
   Coriander leaves(Cilantro), chopped
   Salt to taste

   Heat some oil in a pan and fry the first blended mixture till
done.Add the second mixture and fry till the mixture has lost
all the water content and oil begins to float on top.Now add
all the dry powders and fry for a minute.Add the lamb, salt to
taste and the cilantro.Add sone water and simmer the curry for
around 10 minutes.The gravy should turn thick by then.Eat when hot.


Hyderabadi Fish

Ingredients:

  4 tbsp oil
  2-3 cans of fish(tuna,salmon or shrimps)
  Blend to a smooth paste: 5 red chillies
                           1 tsp turmeric pwd
                           2 tsp aniseed(Saunf)
                           3 tsp cumin seeds
                           3 cm piece ginger
                           2-3 tbsp coconut
                           1 lemon size ball tamarind
  2 bay leaves
  4 green chillies, split
  1 cup coconut milk
  1/2 tsp sugar
  1 tsp garam masala
  Salt to taste
  1 1/2 tsp melted butter(Optional)

  Heat the oil, add bay leaves, split green chillies and the
blended mixture.Fry till the oil begins to seperate.This will
take around 10-12 minutes.Add the fish, sugar and salt to
taste.Add a little water and simmer it for a while.Just before
taking it off the fire, add the coconut milk and garam masala
and bring it to a boil.If you want, you can add melted butter
to the dish to enhance the taste.


Egg Akoori

Ingredients:

  1 onion, sliced finely
  2 chopped green chillies
  1-2 flakes garlic, chopped finely
  1/4 " ginger , chopped finely
  Salt and pepper to taste
  A little garam masala
  4 eggs
  Cooking oil

  Heat the oil and fry the onions, ginger, garlic and green
chillies till the oinions turn brown in color.Take the pan
off the heat, add the eggs, salt and pepper and the garam
masala pwd and stir well.Put back on the fire and fry,
stirring continuously till the mixture turns solid and
is well browned.


Egg Masala

Ingredients:

  4 eggs,hardboiled and shelled
  2 onions, sliced finely
  Mix together with a little water: 1 1/2 tsp chilli pwd
                                    2 tsp coriander pwd
                                    A pinch of turmeric
                                    1 tsp cumin pwd
                                    1 tsp garam masala
                                    Salt to taste
  1 tomato, chopped
  1 tbsp Cilantro(coriander leaves), chopped
  2 tbsp gram flour
  Cooking oil

  Make 2-3 slits on each egg with a thin bladed knife and set
aside.
  Heat the oil and fry the onions till well browned.Now add
the gramflour and fry till the gramflour is completely
fried.Add the powder paste and fry for 45 seconds.Add the
tomatoes and Cilantro.Add 1 cup of water and the eggs.Bring
it to a boil.Simmer for 5 minutes and eat hot.


Kathi Kabab

Ingredients:

  Mix together: Salt to taste
                1/2 tsp pepper
                1/2 tsp ginger pwd
                1 tsp cumin pwd
                1 1/2 tsp coriander pwd
                5-6 flakes of garlic, crushed
                1 tsp chilli pwd
                Lemon juice or vinegar to mix
  1 lb. tender lamb
  1 tbsp cooking oil

  Cut the lamd into squares and rub the paste all over
it.Marinate for 4 -5 hours.
  Brush the lamb with some oil and put it through the
skewers and grill the kababs on a hot oven.Turn
them over freqently, brushing more oil if required.
  You can alternate the raw kababs on the skewers with
small, whole onions, cherry tomatoes, chunks of
bell-peppers or any vegetable of your choice.


Lamb Chilli Fry

Ingredients:

 1 lb. lamb
 4 medium sized tomatoes,chopped
 4 onions
 12 green chillies
 4 flakes garlic
 1" ginger
 1 tsp cumin seeds
 A small bunch of Cilantro(Corinader leaves)
 Salt to taste
 Cooking oil

 Cut the meat into small cubes.
 Slice the onions.
 Grind together the green chillies, garlic, ginger, cumin seeds
and the cilantro.
 Heat some oil and fry the sliced oinions till well
browned.Add the ground masala and saute over high fire.When
oil begins to seperate, add the meat and salt to taste.
When the meat starts to become tender, add the chopped tomatoes
and some water.Simmer the curry for 10 minutes.Bring it to a
boil.Eat when hot.


Hot and Sour Shrimps

Ingredients:

  1 lb. shrimps, cleaned and de-viened
  2 onions
  Blend together to a smooth paste: 1 small piece ginger
                                    10 flakes garlic
                                    3-4 black peppercorns
                                    1 tsp cumin seeds
                                    6 red chillies
                                    1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
                                    1/2 cup thick tamarind
                                    juice or 2 tbsp vinegar
  Salt to taste
  Cooking oil

  Slice and fry the onions in the oil till done.Add the ground
masala and fry till the oil begins to seperate.Now add the
shrimps and salt and some water and simmer for a while.Bring
to a boil.Add more vinegar if required and boil till done.


Tomato Chicken

Ingredients:

  2 lb. chicken cut into medium sized pieces
  5 onions sliced finely
  2-3 tbsp curd(unflavoured yoghurt)
  1 1/2 tsp red-chilli pwd
  2 -3 tsp coriander powder
  1 tsp cumin pwd
  2 tbsp coconut
  3 tomatoes, pureed
  2-3 cloves
  1 " cinnamon
  2-3 cardammoms
  2 tbsp cashewnuts, ground with a little water to a paste
  A bunch of Cilantro (Coriander leaves), chopped
  Cooking oil

  Deep fry the sliced onions in oil till they are properly
browned.Drain them, add the curd and blend the mixture with
the cinnammon, cloves and cardammoms till smooth.Set aside.
  Heat some oil in a pan and fry the above masala till the
oil begins to seperate.Now add the dry powders and fry for
45 secs.Add the pureed tomato and the chicken pieces.Add some
water and simmer till the chicken is cooked.Add the
cashewnut paste and bring to a boil. Garnish with the chopped
Cilantro.Eat when hot with rice or roti.


Chicken Curry in a Coconut base

Ingredients:

  2 lb. chicken, cut into pieces
  Blend together to make a smooth paste: 3 tbsp coconut
                                         3-4 red chillies
                                         2 green chillies
                                         1 lemon size ball of tamarind
                                         1 tsp cumin seeds
                                         1 tsp coriander seeds
                                         1 tsp poppy seeds
                                         5-6 flakes of garlic
                                         1" piece ginger
                                         2-3 cloves
                                         1" cinammon
                                         2-3 cardammoms
  Paste of 2 tbsp cashewnuts
  2 onions ,sliced finely
  Cooking oil
  Salt to taste
  Cilantro, chopped

  Heat oil and fry the onions till well browned.Add
the masala and fry till the oil begins to seperate.Now
add the chicken pieces and salt and simmer till chicken is cooked.
When chicken is tender, add the cashewnut paste and bring
to a boil.Garnish with chopped Cilantro.


Beans Upkari

Ingredients:

   2 lb. beans
   2 tbsp coconut
   1 tsp mustard seeds
   2-3 red chillies
   Cooking oil
   Salt to taste

   Cut the beans into small pieces and set aside.
   Heat some oil and add the mustard seeds.When they start crackling,
add the red chillies and fry for 20 seconds.Add the beans and salt.
Sprinkle water and cook on a low flame, covered.The beans will take
about 10-12 minutes to cook.After the beans are done, add the
coconut and fry for a while.Eat hot with rice and dhal.


PuliKodel

Ingredients:

    1/2 lb. of gourd or squash
    A pinch of Turmeric
    Mustard seeds
    2-3 red chillies
    Fry in a little oil: A pinch of Asoefetida(Hing)
                         1 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
                         8-10 peppercorns
                         1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
                         3/4 tsp fenugreek(Methi)
                         1 tbsp rice, washed
                         1 tbsp sesame seeds
                         2-3 tbsp coconut
    Salt to taste
    Cooking oil

    Blend all the fried ingredients to a smooth paste
and set aside.
    Cook the gourd/squash with a pinch of salt and turmeric
and when it is done, add the ground masala to it.Bring it to a
boil.Season with the mustard and red chillies.
    Eat hot with rice.


Cabbage Upkari

Ingredients:

    1 lb. cabbage, chopped finely
    3 medium onions, chopped finely
    2-3 red chillies
    1 tsp mustard seeds
    1 tsp urad dhal
    Salt to taste
    1 tbsp coconut
    Cooking oil

    Heat the oil and add mustard seeds.When they begin to crackle
add the urad dhal and red chillies and fry for about 20 seconds.
Then add the onions and fry till the onions are brown in color.
Add the chopped cabbage, sprinkle a little water, add salt to taste
and cook covered, on a low flame.The cabbage will take around 15
minutes to get cooked.When the cabbage is soft, add the coconut
and mix well.Heat through and eat with rice and dhal.


Dali Thoi

Ingredients:

   1 cup of toor dhal
   2-3 green chillies, split
   2-3 red chillies
   A pinch of Asoefetida(Hing)
   Salt to taste
   Mustard seeds
   A bunch of coriander leaves(Cilantro), chopped
   Cooking oil

   Pressure cook the dhal till it is soft.After it is done, transfer
the cooked dhal into a cooking dish, add the green chillies, salt
and the chopped cilantro and bring it to a boil.Season with
mustard seeds, hing and red chillies.


Vali(Spinach) Ambat

Ingredients:

     1 cup toor dhal
     1 1/2 cups chopped spinach
     7-8 red chillies
     1 lemon sized ball of tamarind
     3 tbsp coconut
     1 tsp jaggery
     Salt to taste
     Mustard seeds
     1 Sprig curry leaves
     1 small onion, chopped
     Cooking oil

  Pressure cook the dhal with the spinach and salt till done.
Blend to a smooth paste the red chillies, tamarind and coconut.
Add the blended mixture to the dhal-spinach.Mix well.Add the
required amount of water, jaggery and bring to a boil.
  Season with the chopped onion, mustard and curry leaves.


Batata Gojju

Ingredients:

  1 lb. potatoes
  A pinch Asoefetida
  Salt to taste
  2 green chillies, chopped
  1 tsp mustard seeds
  2 tsp tamarind juice
  2 red chilles

  Boil the potatoes till they are soft.Mash the potatoes, add
some water,the green chilies, salt and asoefetida.Mix well.
Add the tamarind juice and mix.Season with mustard and red chillies.


Rice Kheer

Ingredients:

   




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