Sambar recipe - Restaurant style

Sambar Recipe

Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 1 small diced
Onion - 1 small sliced
Green chilli - 1 slit
Garlic - 2 pods
Tamarind - 1 small gooseberry size(put in 1/4 cup hot water and extract juice)
Jaggery - 1/4 tsp powdered(optional)
Sambar powder - 2 tsp
Coconut - 1/4 cup ground to paste(optional)

Oil - Sesame oil(if available)
Vegetables - (1 small potato cut to cubes, 1 drumstick cut to 2 inch pieces)
Curry leaves - 10

Seasoning:
Ghee - 1 tsp
Shallots - 2
Sambar powder - 1/4 tsp
Dry red chilli - 2
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek(vendhayam) - 1/4 tsp
Aesofoetida - 1 pinch
Curry leaves - 3

Method:

1. Wash toor dal in water and keep soaked for 15 mins.
2. Meanwhile cut all the vegetables and keep aside.
3. Heat sesame oil in preassure cooker and toss in the onion and green chilly and saute for 2 mins. Add Dal and preassure cook for 4 whistles.
4. Open and add salt. Then add garlic,tamarind paste,sambar powder and all the vegetables except tomato. Preassure cook for 1 whistle.
5. Open and add tomato and curry leaves and bring to boil for 5 mins.
6. Add coconut paste and enough water approximately 1/2 cup. Again bring to boil and add jaggery and mix well. Check salt and turn off flame.

For seasoning:
Heat ghee in a pan and splutter mustard and then add fenugreek and aesofoetida, shallots, dried red chilly,curry leaves. Fry on low flame for a minute till shallots starts
turning golden brown. Now sprinkle 1/4 tsp sambar powder and mix well.
Pour it over the curry and keep covered for 10 mins so that the flavours infuse into the gravy. Serve hot with rice,dosa or idly.

Prawn masala

Ingredients:
Prawns - 250 gms deveined
Tomatoes, finely chopped - 2 medium
Coconut oil or Sesame oil(If not available, use regular cooking oil)
Cardamom -1 or 2
Onions - 2 medium, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seeds (sombu) or powder
Curry leaves - 10
Ginger Garlic paste - 2 teaspoon (Ginger 1 inch piece & Garlic big 4 pods)
Salt
250 grams prawns, cleaned and de-veined


Masala Powders
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Pepper powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon

Cloves 2 - Crushed
Grated coconut 1/4 cup
Cilantro 1/4 cup

Method:

1.Heat oil in a pan and add the fennel seeds, cardamom and curry leaves.
2.Add the chopped onions and fry until the onions turn brown.
2.Add chopped tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, all masala powders and the salt. Saute on medium flame till the tomatoes
are become mushy and the oil starts separating.
3.When the mixture becomes thick add in the prawns. Add crushed cloves and few more curry leaves. Cook for 5 minutes till all mixture coats the prwan and add 1/2 cup water.
Cook for another 5 mins till all is done. Now add the grated coconut and mix well for 2 mins.Turn off flame and garnish with cilatro leaves.
4. Serve with rice or any kind of roti.

Medhu vadai / Ulundu vadai recipe

Medhu vadai / Ulundu Vadai Recipe 

Ingredients

 Urad dal skin removed – 1 cup
 Small onion – 6-7 chopped
 Curry leaves – 2 tsp torn to pieces
 Pepper corn – 1/4 tsp
 Salt
 Green chilli – 1  chopped
 Aesofotida – a small pinch
 Cilantro leaves - 2 tsp

Oil - For frying

1. Wash urad dal and soak it in water enough to cover the dal. Keep soaked for 2-3 hours.
2. Drain water in a bowl and keep aside. Now grind it by adding little by little. Add the soaked water       as required.
3. Do not make the batter very loose. (Check the batter by taking little amount in a teaspoon and       dropping it in a glass of water, if it floats, then your consistency is perfect).
4. Now add all ingredients to the batter.
5. Heat oil in a kadai.
6. Take a small polythene sheet, wet your hand and then a small ball out of the batter and pat it on the     polythene sheet.
   Make a hole in the centre and carefully drop it in hot oil. Another method is to simply wet your          hands take batter with yourfingers and make a hole with your thumb finger and slowly drop into oil.    Whichever is easy for you, go ahead. But make sure you wet your hand everytime you take the            batter. Else it will stick.
7. Fry it on medium flame till it turns golden brown on both sides.
8. Dry it on a paper. Serve with chutney or sambar.

Note: If your batter is of right consistency, it will not absorb much oil.

Pasta with Paneer Recipe

Easy and Tasty Pasta recipe:

Ingredients:

Pasta 1 1/2 cup

Tomatoes ripe medium blanched and ground to paste

Onion 1 small chopped 

Salt

Pepper 1/2 tsp

Mayonaise 2 tsp

Oregano 1 tsp

Basil 1/2 tsp optional

Garlic 3 pods chopped 

Capsicum 1/2 chopped 

Paneer 1 cup 

Method:

1. Pressure cook pasta for 1 whistle 

2. Chop onion. Blanch tomato(Put in boiling water and remove skin)Grind to paste.

3.Heat oil and put capsicum and saute till raw smell goes.Now add onion and garlic and saute till onion turns translucent.

4.Now add tomato paste and cook till water evaporates and mixture gets thick.Add 1/4 tsp sugar and mix well.

5.Add herbs and salt. Now toss in paneer cubes. Cook till it turns soft.

6.Add pepper and Pasta to the mixture.Mix and add the mayonnaise to it atlast and mix till it coats well.

Serve with tomato ketchup.

Oats Dosa

Instant Oats Dosa:

Oats - 1 cup(Powdered)

Rava- 1/4 cup((roast on low flame for 2 mins)

Maida - 1/4 cup

Rice flour - 2 tbsp

Curd/Yoghurt - 1/2 cup

Water as required

Salt

Curry leaves - 5 to 6 leaves

Cilantro 3-4 stems chopped into bits

Oil to drizzle

1. Powder the oats in blender.

2. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients. Add enough water to make the batter slightly loose.

    Not too watery.Should be buttermilk consistency. Check by pouring small portion on hot tawa. 

    If you are able to make crispy dosa, then the consistency is right.  If not add little more water.

    Also check salt.

3. Leave aside for 15 minutes.

4. Heat a tawa and drizzle few drops of oil and spread it. The dosa will have small holes and 

    look like lace.

5. Check if its brown & flip over. Don't do it in a hurry. When both sides turn brown and 

    crispy, remove it from tawa. 

7. Sprinkle water and rub the tawa and repeat the above process.

6. Serve hot with chutney.

Kerala style varutharacha chicken curry

Kerala chicken curry

Ingredients :

Chicken – 1/2 kg, cut into medium size pieces
Onion Chopped – 2
Green Chilly Slit – 3
Tomato (chopped) -1
Garlic Chopped -1 1/2 tsp
Ginger Chopped -1 ½ tsp
Red Chilly Powder – 1 tsp
Coriander Powder- 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder- 1/4 tsp

Grated Coconut – 1/2 cup
Fennelseeds – 1/2 tsp
Cardamom – 1
Cloves – 3
Cinnamon – 2 small piece

Oil (coconut oil for authentic flavour) -1 tbsp
Shallots – 5

Salt -to taste
Curry leaves – 15 nos

Method :

1. Marinate the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, chilli powder and little bit of lemon juice or yogurt,
   keep aside for 20 minutes.

2. Heat a frying pan and dry roast the grated coconut,shallots and when they turn light brown, add all
    the spices(fennel seeds,cloves,cinnamon and cardamom) roast on medium low flame till the
    mixture becomes dark brown color.
    Remove from fire, allow to cool and grind the mix with little water to a fine paste.

3. Heat oil non-stick pan, saute chopped onions,green chillies and saute well.
    Add the ginger and garlic in to it and saute until raw smell goes off.
    Then add turmeric powder,coriander powder,red chilli powder and saute well.

4. Once the raw smell goes,add the chopped tomato.Cover and cook on medium flame until the
    tomato is well cooked.

5. Add chicken pieces and 1/2 cup water,stir well. Cover and cook for 15 mins on low flame till
    chicken is cooked.
6. Now finally add coconut paste and curry leaves and let it boil for few minutes.
   Bring to boil add salt as required. Add more water if the gravy is too thick. Garnish with cilantro.
   Serve with rice,Chapati or any kind of bread.

Pulao Recipe

Special Pulao recipe

 Ingredients:
 Basmati Rice - 2 1/2 cups
 Onion -1 chopped
 Green chilli - 2 slit
 Chopped capsicum - 1/2
 Mixed vegetables - 1/2 cup (carrot,peas,beans)
 Cabbage - 1 / 2 cup
 Pepper 1/2 tsp
 Chicken stock 1/2 cube(I used maggi. Its optional but it gives a wonderful flavour)
 Ginger garlic paste 1tbsp (ginger 1 inch piece & garlic 3 big pods)
 Coconut milk powder 2tsp in 1/4 cup water
 Bayleaf
 Cinnamon 1 to 2 inch piece
 Cardamom 1
 Cumin powder 1/2 tspoon
 Cloves 3

Garnish:
Cashews - 6 fried in ghee(optional)

Method:

1. Heat oil add Bayleaf, cinnamon,cardamom, cloves  and  onion. While onion becomes transparent,
   add cumin and saute till onion becomes light brown.
2. Add Gingergarlic paste and saute for 2 mins.
3. Now add capsicum, green chilli, cabbage, mixed vegetables(I used frozen.If you are
   using fresh veges, you need to make sure they get cooked properly)
4. Saute for 5 mins add maggi chicken stock cube in warm 1/4 cup hot water and dissolve it.
   Now add coconut milk and about 4 cups of water and bring to boil.
5. Add rice when water boils add enough salt. Cover vessel with a towel and place lid and cook for 12mins.
6. Turn off stove and keep covered for 15mins. Add pepper and mix well without breaking the rice. Better to mix once it cools down a bit.
7. Serve with raitha and boiled egg or curry of your choice.

Chicken Chinthamani

A very simple recipe, yet never compromising on taste. Try it and you will love it.... Trust me.. 

chicken chinthamani

Ingredients:

Chicken 500 gms

Shallots(small onion) - 250 gms or (20 to 25 nos)

Dry red chilli 8 - 10 Nos (according to your level of spiciness)

Turmeric powder ½ tsp

Salt and oil as required

Curry leaves - 6-7 leaves

Preparation:

1. In a pan add 2 tablespoon oil and chopped shallots.Saute well.

2.  Add split dry red chillies and saute till oil colour changes.

3.  Now add chicken pieces,salt and turmeric powder.

4.  Mix well. Cover & cook for 15 minutes on low flame. No need to open inbetween if on low flame.

5.  Do not add water,chicken should get cooked in its own water content & oil. 

6.  Open and add curry leaves and mix well and cook till semi-thick.

Serve with rice

Fish curry without tamarind

Fish curry

Fish curry without tamarind

 Fish fillet 1 (I used white fish fillet) - You can also use normal fleshy fish like King fish
 2 medium onions
 2 medium tomatoes
 Ginger garlic paste
 Fennel powder 1/2 tsp
 Coriander powder 2tsp
 Red chili powder 1tsp for masala + 1tsp to marinate fish
 Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp+1/4 tsp to marinate fish
 Salt
 Viniger 1tsp
 Cardamom crushed 1
 Curry Leaves
 Grated coconut 1/2 to 3/4cup cup
 Coconut oil

 Seasoning optional
 Mustard
 Fenugreek 1/4 teaspoon
 Dried chilli 1 broken

 Method
 Marinate fish and keep aside.
 Heat coconut oil add fennel powder,cardamom ,onion and ginger garlic paste.
 When onion is slightly brown add masala powders.saute for sometime.
 Add tomatoes sliced and cook till soft.
 Take half portion and let it cool. Then grind with coconut.
 Add the paste to curry and then add fish and curry leaves mix gently and cover cook for 10mins.
 Open check salt and add some water as required.
 Bring to boil on slow flame and add viniger.
 Turn off and make seasoning

Chocolate Cake - Basic easy method

Chocolate Cake:

For Cake :
1 3/4 cups 250 grams all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup white sugar (powder it in blender)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-processed)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup 240 ml warm water
1 cup 200 ml milk
1/2 cup 120 ml cooking oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla essence or pure extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for about 10mins and place oven rack in the center of the oven.
Apply butter or oil to medium sized cake mould. Dust with flour to make a thin coating. This is to avoid cake from
sticking to pan.

In a another bowl combine together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, water, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients
to the dry ingredients and stir, or whisk, until combined.Do it slowly to avoid clumps. Bake for about 27 - 32 minutes or check by inserting toothpick
into the center of the cake just comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool. Then remove the cakes from their pans and let it cool completely before frosting.


Method:
 Chocolate Frosting:
 1Gather the ingredients. You'll need:
 1 cup of sugar(powder in blender)
 6 tablespoons of butter(keep it in room temprature 1/2 hour before starting to prepare)
 1/2 cup of cocoa powder

Cream butter. In a large bowl, whip butter at medium speed with an electric mixer(for better result),
if you don't have electric blender, you can do it with an egg whisk,
until it is fluffy.

Blend dry ingredients. In a small bowl, sift to combine cocoa and granulated sugar.

Add little milk to the cocoa and sugar, mix well. Do not add too much milk, or the mixture will become
too thin.

Beat well until the mixture is spreading consistency. If too thick, add more milk, one teaspoon at a time. If too thin,
add more cocoa/sugar mixture.
Add 1 tablespoon vanilla. Blend well.
Blend well so there aren't any clumps.

Now you can spread it on your cake.

Reshmi Kebab - Indian Grilled chicken

Chicken Reshmi Kabab is a grilled dish made with Boneless Chicken Breast, marinated and grilled to perfection.

Ingredients

400 gm boneless chicken breast
 1 cup curd (yogurt)
 2 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
 1 teaspoon cashewnuts
 1 teaspoon almonds(optional)
 1 teaspoon lemon juice
 2 tablespoon fresh cream(After heating milk and when it cools, you can remove the layer thats formed on top and use it)
 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
 1/2 teaspoon white pepper powder
 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
 2 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
 1 tablespoon oil or butter
 Salt to taste

 Instructions

Rinse the chicken pieces in running water and cut into medium size chunks. Also soak almonds and cashews in water for about 20 minutes. Remove the skin from almonds and keep them aside.
 Now in a big bowl, mix the curd, ginger-garlic paste, cream, salt, lemon juice, chopped coriander and spices very well.
 Make the paste of almonds and cashew nuts and add into it.
 Add about 1/2 tablespoon of oil in yogurt mixture and marinate pieces of chicken in it. Coat all the chicken pieces very well, cover the marination and keep it aside at least for 1 hour. (In this way chicken gets the flavors and juices of ingredients of marination).
 Preheat the oven at 350F degrees for 5 minutes and put the wooden skewers in warm water.
 Thread the chicken pieces into skewers and place in the oven. Lightly brush with some oil.
 Grill for about 20 minutes until chicken tenders and becomes juicy. When the chicken is done, then remove out from the skewers.
 Serve hot with coriander chutney and cabbage salad.
 Notes

This marination of Chicken Reshmi Kabab can be kept for overnight in refrigerator.

To make in stove:

Heat a flat tawa and drizzle 2 tablespoon oil or butter on it. When hot, place the chicken pieces and cover cook for 8 minutes on either sides. If you want smokey flavour, take a piece of charcoal and burn it till its red hot. Keep it in a small bowl and place inbetween chicken. Now pour two drops of oil over it and cover the whole vessel with a lid for 2 minutes. Now open the vessel with chicken will absorb the smoke and give you the desired tandoor flavour. Remove charcoal.